River Lily
by Katie Macpherson
Summary: Lily Potter's life was tragically cut short by Voldemort's wand. But what if it didn't end there? What if she was given a chance to continue fighting in a different land, a land which is vastly different and also very similar to ours. From a lion to a trout...Westeros is not ready for the coming of Lily Evans
1. Chapter 1

River Lily

Chapter 1

Green….she had always loved that color.

Maybe it was because it was the color of her eyes…maybe it was because people had always said that the color had looked nice on her…or maybe it represented life or the forest in spring or summertime. Or maybe because it reminded her of someone.

As long as she could remember, as soon as spring time had come she and her sister had gone down to the park near their house to swing on the swings and use the playground equipment. It was an older park so not as many people came to it which suited the girls just fine because it meant they had the entire place to themselves.

It had bordered on the edge of a forest which was always a brilliant shade of green for at least six months of the year. There were emerald, vermillion and jade colors as far as the eye could see and the forest was filled with flowers and sweet smelling shrubs that fair near overwhelmed her senses at times.

Half the time Lily had been more interested in going into the woods rather than playing. Petunia with her rather superior attitude and annoying habit of calling her on everything she did wrong would always call her back and then tell on her when they got home if she didn't listen.

But at the time her sister's snitching didn't seem to matter as there was an entire adventure between and under those trees that had just been calling to her.

Come to think of it, maybe she liked the color because it reminded her of her best friend, a best friend she had never forgotten even though he had disappeared a long time ago. He was a best friend who she had unresolved issues with and he had always been clad in green as befitting his house colors. Every time she saw the color she couldn't help but think of him.

Maybe Severus was part of the reason Lily loved the color green so much. Maybe he had been the reason for many things that she was just now beginning to realize.

Maybe he was the reason she had married James…not all of it perhaps but maybe deep in her heart his actions had been what had driven her to James.

Maybe that had been because she didn't know who he was anymore with his constant bitterness and obsession with revenge.

She missed the boy she had met in the park who had been her best friend for years and who helped her study, who didn't care that she was a Gryffindor which had gotten him a lot of grief from his house members. He was brilliantly smart and incredibly loyal, something her sister had never been.

Other than her, he had been the top in his year in potions but he had never bragged about it.

At least at the beginning he hadn't. She was certain that before her, potions had been all he had held on to.

And then after the mudblood incident….she hadn't been able to look at him the same way again. She had wanted to…merlin had she wanted to go back to the way things were but her friend had done a right proper job of convincing her she was better off without him.

To her shame she had listened.

How might things have been different had she still been friends with Severus? Would James even have been in the picture if Severus was still her friend and hadn't left the country as soon as he had graduated?

At least he hadn't joined the Dark Lord…she did take some comfort in that.

Professor Dumbledore had informed her that Severus had taken a job teaching potions at Salem Academy in Boston and had made no plans to ever return.

And even though she would never see him again, he was going to be the person he should have been. Not who he thought he should be, not who she thought he would be and certainly not what James and his friends had made him out to be.

Severus would be his own person…and she was quietly proud.

Of course she could never tell anyone that, but she held the memory of him dear to her heart all the same…and the memory of those sunny green days…those green moments that represented memory, life and happiness.

Strange wasn't it that such a color was the last thing she would see before she died?

"There is irony everywhere it seems."

At the sound of the strange voice, Lily jerked slightly and looked up, flinching as if she had been awakened from a deep sleep.

She was no longer in the nursery….she wasn't in Godric's Hollow at all. In fact she was nowhere that she recognized.

The room itself was pure white and there were no windows in it. White walls, white ceilings, white floors, everything was bones pearls and ivories to such a bright degree that it hurt to look at it all at first.

There were only two distinguishable features about the room. The first was that there was an enormous fireplace sitting just to her right that was taller than Lily that was blazing with such light and heat that she was surprised that she wasn't dying from it. The crimson flames rose over her head in such a way that it could surely engulf the largest creature that were thrown into it.

 _A fire like that could surely warm up all of Hogwarts,_ Lily thought absently to herself.

There was no grate to keep the flames from spilling out onto the floor but not even the marble tiles were singed with soot.

She almost imagined that someone could walk right into it if they wanted to.

It was a bit of an unsettling thought.

Just then there was the sound of someone clearing their throat and Lily jerked back around to see that there was a desk just in front of her in which someone was seated behind. There was an enormous stack of books placed in front of them so she could not see their face, but Lily wasn't sure that she wanted to.

It was then that she found she was sitting in a chair before said desk as if she had come for some sort of appointment.

"Where…Where am I?" she stammered.

"Tsk, the same question. There is absolutely no originality among you mortals," the other voice said.

It was a creaky one and sounded as if an old woman was speaking. It wasn't frightening but at the same time, it did give Lily an unsettled feeling. "Who are you?"

"Another unoriginal question," the voice said sounding strangely irritated. "I was told you were the brightest witch of your age Lily Evans Potter and yet you can't even ask the right questions."

Now Lily was bewildered and becoming a little annoyed. "Look, I don't know who you are but – "

"No you don't," the voice interrupted. "And you will never know because you are not asking the right questions."

Lily stared at the stack of books, her eyes narrowing. "I just decided does it really matter who you are? You're not going to move that bloody stack of books so I can see your face. Who cares who you are? And I think asking where I am is a very legitimate question seeing as how I am nowhere familiar."

"Ha!" said the voice. "Again not seeing the bigger picture. I would have thought better of you Lily Potter."

That was it. Lily opened her mouth to unleash her famous temper on the bastard behind the books when all of a sudden she froze a sudden realization coming over her.

"How… How do you know my name?"

"Finally, a good question!" the voice said displaying no small amount of exasperation at her inability to understand what he was getting at. "It took you long enough. This is a question that I will answer. I know who you are because I know the name of everyone who comes to see me. And why do I know that you ask? Well because you're dead. I am supposed to know all of the names of the dearly departed."

It was like a punch to the gut that knocked all the breath from her lungs and sent her gasping and reeling almost to her knees.

And suddenly she remembered it all.  
Godric's Hollow….  
The damn prophecy….

The return of Voldemort….

Marrying James….

The secret keeper…..

Harry….

And then the green light….and no more.

"Harry," she whispered before somehow gathering her strength and all but flinging herself forward.

Or rather she tried to but she could barely move the chair as her hands were suddenly stuck to the armrests as if she had been tied up.

Looking down in disbelief, Lily could see that there were no manacles wrapped about her wrists and her feet were not lashed to the legs of the chair.

"What is this?" she demanded. "What have you done to me?"

"I thought we were getting somewhere," the other voice said in a condescending tone. "Now we're back to the unoriginal questions. You're not shackled Lily Potter, you can get up if you want to."

The red head glared at the stack of books on the desk masking the annoying voice and then shook her arms again. "Don't be a fool. I want to get up now and I can't. I want to go back and I can't. So what have you done?"

"How is your death on my head?" the voice asked again. "Let me rephrase this in case you can't understand. You are dead therefore you cannot return. Harry and James Potter are gone and no matter how much you may wish to go to them…you cannot. The laws of death are very clear. It is a shame though."

He seemed to be speaking through a long tunnel at that point and Lily found she had stopped listening.

It couldn't be true…it just couldn't….

She remembered barring and warding the door to the nursery and muttering some sort of magic and casting a spell around the crib hoping that it would protect her son.

And then she remembered the door behind her exploding into a million pieces and then the cold cruel reptilian voice of the dark lord demanding that she step aside so he might do away with her son.

She had begged and pleaded with him to kill her instead and then there were those murmured words as soft as snow.

 _"_ _So be it…."_

And then there had been a flash of emerald green before everything had gone black.

It was with terrible certainty that the truth crashed down upon her like an ice bath on a person in the throes of dreams.

"No," she whispered with horrible. "It can't be."

"Unfortunately it is," the nonchalant voice replied in a voice that betrayed that he didn't think it fortunate or unfortunate. "In the world you came from you have been gone only a few moments, but it seems that people are already beginning to take notice."

"And…And Harry?" Lily asked in a daze.

"Your son is fine," the voice replied and Lily released the breath she didn't even know she had been holding. If her son was alive then nothing else mattered.

"What will happen to him?" she asked in a small voice.

"That I can't tell you, I can only tell you that he's alive. His future is in someone else's hands. I only deal with the living and the dead."

This was making no sense whatsoever and Lily wanted to then posit that it was all a dream and she would awaken in her bed in Godric's Hollow with James beside her and the distant sound of cooing coming from Harry's room down the hall.

"And if you're going to burst out with some nonsense about this all being a dream," the voice said. "You can take those notions and toss them into the fire to burn up. You are not dreaming, this is not some sort of vision or delusion. You are _dead_ Lily Evans Potter and the world you know is gone. What you choose to do with that knowledge is up to you."

Again the words seemed to be coming through a long tunnel and Lily felt as if she were floating away. She couldn't even be aware of her own breaths as it didn't seem as if her chest was rising and falling.

She didn't even know that she was shaking or that the pile of books on the desk were blurring from silvery tears. The fire in the hearth seemed to blaze hotter as her temperature went up.

As if she were some sort of robot on command, she turned her head towards the fire and stared at the dancing flames. In her almost hysterical grief she imagined those flames forming demonic shapes and mocking her about her failure.

She someone who had succeeded in everything she did since she could remember but especially since coming to Hogwarts, had failed when it counted…and she had failed spectacularly.

Harry may have been alive yes. But she couldn't protect him now…she couldn't do anything for him other than move on to some damn afterlife that she wasn't even sure existed. She had failed as a wife because she hadn't helped James and she had failed as a mother because she couldn't protect Harry from whatever horrors awaited him in his life without parents.

Despite the fact that it was one failure…it was the biggest failure of all and she couldn't stop the thick sobs that works their way out of her as she hunched over head almost against her knees, trying to forsake the feelings of helplessness and utter self-loathing.

And in doing so without even knowing it, her hands somehow let go of the armrests and came to rest around herself almost as if she were trying to hold herself together like she would fly into a million piece if she didn't.

Heart wrenching sobs were new to her as the last time she had cried like this was the last time she and Severus had ever spoken.

She hadn't cried when her relationship with her sister was over and she hadn't cried when she found out that the Dark Lord was targeting them. All she had felt was a burning determination to not give up….to not fail and to not be what everyone thought her to be, some jumped up muggleborn with her head stuck in a book.

And now she would be remembered for something far worse….failing her child when she needed him most.

Who would answer Harry's questions about life now? Who would hold him when he had a nightmare or fell down? Who would help him with his homework and teach him how to ride his first broom? Who would be there when he graduated from Hogwarts or when he waited at the end of the aisle for one special lady?

The questions kept coming and the sobs accompanied them in a tearful cacophony that was a symphony of grief.

Fortunately the voice behind the stack of books hadn't said anything for a long time. That was a good thing because Lily didn't think she could handle anymore dry or sarcastic statements of fact.

After what seemed like hours she somehow managed to raise her head and was confronted with a handkerchief sitting at the edge of the desk.

Gratefully she picked it up and blotted her eyes and nose which was running.

"I need to go back," she said in a quiet voice that was also somewhat hoarse.

"Unfortunately, that's not part of the deal," the voice said. "No one is allowed to return from the dead, no exceptions."

"But Harry…James…"

" _No_ exceptions."

Lily shot to her feet and slammed her hands against the desk, shaking off her momentary surprise that she had somehow been freed or else freed herself. "Listen you prat! You don't understand, I _need_ to go back. My son needs me. The world is a dark and scary place and he is just a child, barely three months old. Merlin knows what they would do to him out there. Do you even have children?"

"No," said the dry voice. "But seeing as how I am not human and am unable to carry out the process of birthing screaming greasy bipeds from a uterus, it would not be something I am eager to experience."

Lily stared at the stacks of books in bewilderment which were blocking her view of her bizarre tormentor.

A wordless snarl slipped from between her teeth and she made to push the stacks aside with her hands and send them tumbling to the floor when the voice, this time as hard and grim as steel stopped her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why not?" Lily demanded. "I'm already dead. What sort of problem would I create if I were to want to look on the face of the one person who took my life before I was ready to go?!"

But just as she was about to send the books tumbling, a force like she had never felt wrapped around her arms and sent her tumbling back into the chair with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs.

"You foolish mortal!" the voice boomed. "Do you think anyone can look in the face of death and retain their sanity? Do you think you're somehow better…more evolved than any other human that has tried? You know nothing!"

Lily was so stunned she was left sitting in the chair blinking as her slow mind tried to take in what had happened.

There was a long silence in which the room was deathly silent and there was no sound but for the crackling of the fire.

Gradually Lily's fear began to dissipate but she still didn't know what she should say or if she should say anything. Cold tendrils of panic were still slowly sliding up and down her back at how close to this primordial creature of infinite shadow she was.

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish for a moment and the voice took that opportunity to keep on speaking.

"You will not look upon me as you have not earned that honor nor that torture. But you will not be returning to your life. Do you know how many people have sat before me and begged to go back to their old lives on account of unfinished business or unresolved emotions? How many mothers? How many fathers?"

Dumbly Lily shook her head. She was feeling somewhat mute at the moment and prospect of no return.

 _"_ _Billions,"_ the voice snapped. "Billions upon billions of people from the dawn of creation have sat here and tried to bargain with me, making all sorts of promises about what they would do to go back to their old lives. And I've given them all the same answer. What makes you think your answer from me will be any different?"

Again Lily didn't have an answer and feeling suddenly fatigued she slumped back into her chair, a hollow certainty of gloom and sheer melancholy overtaking her.

"This can't be it," she whispered.

"Unfortunately it is, the voice said. "Your life is over and now you are here awaiting further instructions."

"In…Instructions?" Lily asked in a daze.

"Yes Mrs. Potter keep up," the voice said dryly. "You followed instructions all the time in school. Why should this be any different? You see, every mortal who comes to see me I need to decide to do with. Most I just send on to the afterlife or eternal punishment, but perhaps I'll do something different with you."

"Haven't you already tortured me enough?" Lily demanded.

To her surprise, the creature behind the books laughed. "You don't know torture. But perhaps you will."

"What does that mean?" the red head asked.

There was a long pause and then a deep chuckle from behind the tall volumes. "It means that I do believe I have decided what to do with you."

"What's it to be then?" Lily asked, no longer sure that she cared. "Eternal rest or eternal punishment?"

"Neither."

She blinked, unsure she heard the voice correctly. "I beg your pardon?"

"I've thought of a better use for you Lily Potter. Or perhaps I should simply begin calling you Lilian Tully…yes that will do nicely. It has a nice ring to it I think."

This made absolutely no sense and Lily opened her mouth to tell him so when she was stopped yet again.

"Oh and before you go, there is one more thing I need to do."

From behind the stack of books, a shrivelled gnarled age spotted hand appeared. It was so white, so bony and the fingers and nails were so sharp that they appeared to be talons.

The sight of it made Lily shudder and she was suddenly very glad she had never succeeded in looking behind the books.

But then she registered that the hand was holding something and she blinked in surprise.

It was her wand.

"Where did you get that?" she demanded.

"Another foolish question," the creature said in exasperation. "I have my ways Lady Lilian and it doesn't matter at any rate. The only thing that matters is what I am about to do."

"And what is that?"

In answer there was a swift and decisive snap and Lily watched with astonishment as her wand was suddenly broken in two.

Before she could even protest however, a swirling sphere of light appeared from the remains of her wand which the creature took in his hand.

She opened her mouth again to ask questions but was stopped once more when all of a sudden the sphere of magic that was contained in the wand was flying at her and had entered her mouth before she could close it.

Instantly a feeling that was both pleasure and pain filled her. Lily was able to wonder if this was what a heart attack felt like but it was also paired with the most wonderful feeling of euphoria she had ever experienced. For a moment the red head began to wonder why she had been sad at all.

The feeling was one of swallowing a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie as well as a mouthful of broken glass at the same time. The taste was delicious but the feeling was awful.

"What…did…you…do?" she asked through gritted teeth and the creature only responded by picking up the broken pieces of her wand and tossing them into the blazing fire. "You won't be needing that silly stick any longer. And now it's your turn."

All of a sudden Lily found herself standing with her back to the flames of the fireplace. She was able to register that she had been moved to stand just in front of the fire and could feel the flames licking at her back as if to gobble her up. What was worse, she couldn't move to get away from them no matter how she struggled.

"What are you doing?" she demanded of the creature who still hadn't moved from behind his mound of books.

"I am about to send you off," came the voice. "Yes I think you'll do nicely in this world. You're bound to shake things up there Lady Lilian."

"Why are you calling me that?" the red head demanded. "My name is Lily. Lily Potter."

"It'll take some time to get used to," the creature replied. "But you'll have all the time in the world. Now be off with you. Some other pitiful soul is waiting at the door. I wonder if their performance will be better than yours. But somehow I doubt it."

And the last thing Lily ever saw before she was pulled into the flames and the world was engulfed in red and pain became her companion, was the stack of books and the bony white hand of the creature lying limply on the desk.

Right before everything disappeared and her eyes closed, she heard a distant creaky voice in the back of her mind.

 _"We're going to have fun Lilian Tully...lots and lots of fun."_

Ω

 **I would like to give a big shout out and thank you to SpeshMeh for this awesome story idea. It was sent to me a few months ago and the idea just wouldn't leave me alone. I've always wanted to try a Lily centric story and now here it is. The Tullys are also a family I have not yet used and as my dear subscriber pointed out, Lily will be a perfect fit for them. I am certain you guys will be wondering about a pairing so I will be upfront and tell you what it is right now. Lily will be paired with Robert Baratheon. This is an interesting idea but as SpeshMeh pointed out to me, they think it could work. And after doing a lot of thinking about it, I am inclined to agree. While I was not fond of Robert Baratheon in the books, I realized he is the one character in ASOIAF that is a perfect combination of both James Potter and Severus Snape. I say this because Robert has an unbelievale arrogance just like James Potter did. Robert's house sigil is also a stag which makes for an interesting parallel too. Now I'm not certain of how deeply Robert loved Lyanna, but I am inclined to think it was genuine. Most of you guys know I am not a huge Lyanna fan. And speaking of Lyanna she was the proverbial Lily to Robert's Severus. He never loved another woman for the rest of his life and spent it miserable and pretty much alone despite the fact that he was married to Cersei Lannister. Their relationship was toxic so that doesn't really count. Anyway, I think someone like Lily would be perfect for someone like Robert because she would be the sort of strong honorable woman he needs to look past Lyanna and Lily never took crap from anybody so she certainly wouldn't take it from Robert! She was the sort of no nonsense muggleborn witch that didn't care about blood purity or superiority or anything else of that sort. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I hope you guys like this story and don't forget to drop a review. Happy reading everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She supposed it was ironic that the last thing she saw as Lily Potter was green and the first thing she saw as Lilian Tully was green as well.

For when Lily did open her eyes she couldn't help but be assaulted by the barrage of emerald colors and shades all around her. It wasn't until later when she realized that she was standing near a window being held in the arms of someone that she was looking at forests, green grasses and vermillion waters.

 _Where on earth am I?_ she thought to herself. _And what did that bastard at the desk behind the pile of books do to me?_

She blinked again and squinted, looking about to see where she was and if it had all been a rather disturbing dream.

Her first sensation was that it was very warm where she was and for a moment she imagined herself to be sitting before the fire with James in Godric's Hollow having fallen asleep and just now awakened.

The arms that were holding her weren't those of James however and it was with a delayed reaction that Lily realized she was lying on her back with the arms of another wrapped around her. One arm was supporting her back and head and the other was supporting her side and making sure she didn't fall from the height she was obviously resting at.

Lily blinked again and then grimaced when she looked around again to see that there was nothing that looked familiar. Aside what turned out to be a fireplace on the far right side of the room and a bed that was just opposite it, the chamber itself was sparsely decorated. One large wardrobe and a desk completed the décor and the floor were made of stone. The walls were a dark grey stone as well making Lily think she was in some sort of castle.

Castles were nothing new to her and for a moment she wondered if she were back at Hogwarts if she wasn't at Godric's Hollow.

The room certainly didn't look like anything in Gryffindor tower however and it was with a certain degree of sadness that the red head was forced to conclude that she was nowhere familiar and thus it hadn't been a dream.

 _That bastard really was real,_ she thought to herself. _I was dead then….dead and I'm never going back._

A sudden wave of grief overtook her then and tears filled her eyes that she wanted desperately to wipe away.  
"Don't cry little one."

At the sound of the strange but gentle voice, Lily looked up to find herself staring into a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

She narrowed her gaze slightly and was surprised to see that she was gazing into the face of a beautiful woman with bright hair and fair skin. There were lines in her face but there was still a youthful glow about her and for a moment Lily wondered if she was a child again in the arms of her mother Rose Evans.

A second glance told her that this was not in fact true as her mother had had green eyes not blue.

No….this was not her mother returned to her. This was someone else.

 _Where am I?_ Lily thought again.

"Welcome to the world little one," the red haired woman said again. Her hair was a brilliant scarlet and fanned out behind her like a crimson halo. Her blue eyes were kind and though she was not Rose Evans, Lily did feel some comfort at seeing that this woman cared for her.

"My name is Minisa," the woman went on. "I'm your mother. And it is such an honor to meet you."

Her mother?

Lily hesitantly raised one of her hands and looked at it before letting out a startled cry that came out sounding somewhat babyish.

This shouldn't be possible.

She was a child, a baby no less and was being held by her new mother.

After a moment, the words of Death in the chamber came back to her and she gritted her teeth in horror, realizing all he had said was coming to pass.

 _I think you'll do nicely in this world…you're bound to shake things up there Lady Lilian._

 _Oh merlin….is this the world he was talking about?_

It didn't take the scarlet haired witch who had been the tops in almost all of her classes but potions long to figure out that she had landed in some bizarre version of back to the future where she was now in a very different world.

And to make matters worse, she was a baby again.

"Don't worry little one," Minisa replied. "I'm going to take care of you. You are the third daughter of House Tully. I know Hoster was hoping for a son as he has no heir yet but as long as you are healthy, I do not care. You are my daughter and you are a part of House Tully."

 _Perhaps I should begin calling you Lilian Tully…yes that will do nicely. It has a nice ring to it._

 _He's done it,_ Lily thought to herself. _I'm in a different life with a different name and a different family. I'll never see James or Harry, or Sev or Sirius or Remus or Professor Dumbledore ever again. It's all gone._

Tears filled her eyes once more and she left out a sob that sounded even higher pitched in her new child's voice.

"Hush now, it's alright," Minisa crooned. "You're safe and you're with me. There is nothing to fear. No one is going to harm you."  
 _Someone already has._

To distract herself from her grief and tears, Lily looked around turned her head towards the brightness and was able to look out the window.

Down below she could see a courtyard in which horsemen and stable hands and grooms were hurrying about. There was the faint sound of shouting and Lily could see people in armor to a long wall with a wooden gate and a far green country dotted with river beyond.

 _He's sent me back to the Middle Ages,_ she realized with a start. _Why on earth would be send me here?_

 _You're bound to shake things up there._

 _So he did this for his own amusement,_ she thought to herself. _The cruel bastard did this for his own fun and spite. But then I shouldn't really expect a primordial creature to have a sense of humor. He has no emotions._

The ache in her heart was acute then and she realized for the first time in a long time that she was well and truly alone.

Unbidden tears dripped down her face and suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and gently wiped them away.

"Don't cry my beautiful girl," Minisa said gently. "Your father is going to be here to see you soon. I sent his brother after him, thank goodness Brynden was here at the time. He should be here soon. He didn't want to go away with me being pregnant and all, but insisted. I love your father but he has a tendency to hover about far too much."

In a way, this reminded Lily of the way her father often was when Rose Evans was sick. He would stand by and hover about and hover about and hover about until her other mother was fed up and sent him out to perform some household chore.

Despite her grief, it was somewhat comforting to know that this was still the same here.  
Just then a horn blew and there was the sound of distant shouting.

"Oh," Minisa said suddenly and her beautiful face lit up with joy. "I think your father is returning little one."

Lily tried to turn her head to see out the window but could see nothing more than a column of mounted soldiers coming through the gates.

Was her new father amongst them?

Merlin this was strange.

A few minutes later, there was the sound of footsteps and shouts in the hall and then a tentative knock on the door.

"Come," Minisa called softly.

It was all but wrenched open and then a deep voice answered that of her new mothers. "Minisa? Oh thanks the gods, there you are! Are you alright? Should you be standing up right now?"

"Hoster my love, calm yourself," Minisa soothed him, placing a hand against the side of his face. "I am alright. Maester Vyman said I am in good health and that it is all right if I am up and walking around so long as I do not tire myself out."

Hoster nodded but still appeared concerned.

It was then that he caught sight of Lily.

"Is this?" he asked in a quiet voice but didn't finish.  
"Come meet your new daughter my love," Minisa replied taking his hand. "I've already named her. Lilian Tully."

 _Just as he said it would be_.

A man came into view and the first thing Lily noticed about him were his auburn curls and deep sky blue eyes. He had fair skin like her new mother and his face was deeply lined as well. But there were enough around his eyes to make Lily think that he smiled a lot.

There were no flecks of grey in his hair and he still appeared a young man.

"Another daughter my love?" he asked but there was amusement in his voice. "I'm beginning to think you're making a habit out of this."

"It takes two to make a child my love," Minisa replied cheekily. "I could just as soon as say you like having daughters."

"I must be with the three you've given me," the man replied but his tone was entirely affectionate. "I'm going to need to begin thinking of marriage alliances now if this keeps up."

"You old fool," Minisa replied laughing taking hold of his hand. "Must you always exaggerate? Come, hold your daughter."

There was a sudden transfer of weight and Lily looked up to see the man in much more detail looming above her. He was very handsome and she wondered if this was what her features were going to look like in this world.

"Hello there little one," he whispered and she almost wanted to smile at his deep and rumbling voice. It would be perfect to fall asleep to. It was similar to her father Paul Evans' voice and she imagined that this was how he would have sounded if he were reading a story to Harry.

She blinked slightly and took a deep breath, ensuring that tears didn't fill her eyes again.

"Look at her eyes my love," the man called Hoster said a moment later. "Both Catelyn and Lysa have sky blue eyes like mine, but the babe…"

"What about the babe Hoster?" Minisa asked moving away from the fire and back towards the window where her husband stood.

"Her eyes….I've seen this same stone in the river beds sometimes. They're like the aqua quartzes that are sometimes found there, a perfect shade of blue and green. They almost look otherworldly."

"Hmm, than our daughter will be very beautiful," Minisa replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Aye, she will and I will need to keep away the fights that will no doubt be waged for her hand," Hoster replied dryly.

"There is still much time before that happens my love."

"Indeed, you named her you said?"

"I did. I chose the name Lilian, Lily for short. I've always loved the flower and they are so common in the Riverlands. You've also named both Catelyn and Lysa my love, this time it's my turn."

Hoster smiled at her and then inclined his head. "Very well my life and since this this the first child you have named and I have named the last two, you may name the next one as well."

"Well how gracious of you," Minisa said with a smile. "I'll be sure to remember that when the next child we are blessed with is a son."

Their gentle back and forth was somewhat calming to Lily. It wasn't as if she had room to freak out right now. She was a baby and would be allowed time to grow up and adjust to the changes that had taken place.

A part of her didn't think she ever would, but it didn't seem as if she had a choice.

The bitter sweet feeling of finality that came over her again at that moment was one of deep grief and bitter acceptance.

It was all over, Harry was gone, James was gone and her friends were gone. Everything she knew was gone and she was being asked to start over with all of her old memories.

She had been a wife, she had been a mother, she had been a brilliant student and Head Girl in her final year and she had been a devoted member of the Order.

But now none of those things mattered.

No one but her would ever know about them and no one would ever understand here in this medieval society of what she had gone through.

A second later as she lay in Hoster Tully's arms, trying to process everything that had happened, did Lily realize that if she was back in this medieval society no one here was likely to know about her magic.

She could still feel it burning inside of her like a fire that refused to go out but she had to steel herself for calm.

The Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch trials that had been taught to her in Binns history of magic classes came to the fore of her mind and she imagined being burned at the stake for her abilities.

 _Maybe that was why purebloods hated Muggleborns so much when I was in school. Muggles did terrible things to magical people because they were seen as different. Some purebloods were probably still sore about that. I don't agree with their reaction to it, but I can somehow understand it better now. But now that I am a magical living with muggles…I can't reveal my magic now. What if there's no magical school here that can help me control the bursts that might happen. I don't even have a wand anymore to practice with!_

Just then she remembered death breaking her wand in half and then taking the magic that jumped into his hand from it and sending it right to her core.

She felt a sudden relief at the possible implications.

 _Maybe that means that I can perform magic wandlessly now and I don't need the core of a wand to align with my core._

That was some comfort at least.

There was also a new way of life that she would have to get used to. This seemed to be a medieval society where people rode horses and wore armor and carried sword and fought wars.

She had gone back in time to a place that was far less advanced for women and the weak than the society she had come from.

And that sort of distinction would not stand for Lily.

This was going to be a long life if she didn't get a few things straight right now.

"She certainly is beautiful isn't she?" Hoster murmured and Minisa hummed her agreement. "The most beautiful daughter of House Tully I dare say."

"Now, now my love. All of our children are beautiful."

"Hoster, I meant that in jest, of course they are."

The man looked around the room and frowned. "Where are Catelyn and Lysa?"

"In my solar," Minisa replied. "I wanted them to stay there with the maids until I called for them and when Lilian was born, I was so focused on her that I forgot about it."

Despite her best efforts, Lily could feel her eyes beginning to droop then. She wanted to curse and rage at her infant's body which grew tired easily.

She didn't want to sleep, she wanted to think dammit! There was so much to do, so much to work through and so much to plan for!

She had accepted that she was dead, she was even beginning to accept that this wasn't some bizarre dream and she was in fact a baby again in a strange medieval world.

But she needed to process all of this, she needed to figure out what she was going to do with regards to her magic, and her new status.

What she seemed to know so far was that it appeared as if she had been born into a wealthy family if the enormous castle courtyard she had seen was any indication.

She was still a red head it seemed, her parents appeared kind and she had two older sisters.

Oh and her name was now Lilian Tully….how had she forgotten that?

Her eyes drooped even lower and she wanted to scream and rage against the lack of energy she was having.

 _Merlin, was I really this tired when I was a baby? Was I really this useless? How am I going to figure out what I am going to do if all my body wants to do is eat and sleep all the time?!_

"She appears to be getting tired my love," Hoster replied.

"Give her to me then, she has just come into the world. That is a tiring thing," Minisa replied and the hands beneath her once again changed.

The fair haired woman looked back down at her new daughter once more and smiled before looking up at Hoster again.

"Perhaps you could go and bring the girls now my love. Lilian seems quiet enough, perhaps they would like to see their new sister?"

"As you wish."

There was the sound of retreating footsteps and while Lily tried to keep her eyes open to notice the new sight and smells around her and to plan…she couldn't fight the warmth from the fire place or her new mother's arms that were lulling her into the gentle embrace of slumber.

 _Oh well,_ was her last thought before her eyes closed. _At least this time when I wake up again, it won't be much of a shock._

That was what she _thought._

Ω

Lily awoke to giggles.

"She's red mama," said a babyish voice and Lily opened her eyes to see she was once more lying on her back and looking straight up at the rafters in the wooden ceiling.

Two faces were peering down at her. They were two little girls, one of whom looked three and the other appeared to be two.

Their faces were still childish looking but the older one had sky blue eyes just like Minisa and a bright smile on her face.

The younger one looked a little confused but Lily couldn't fault a child who was physical and mentally two for wondering about the strange appearance of a baby.

"Yes sweetling," came the voice of Minisa. "Most babies are red after they are born. The color will fade soon enough."

"She has pretty eyes Mama," the older girl said again and Lily did her best to smile up at her.

She seemed nice.

"Yes Cat she does. And you'll need to protect her. She's your youngest sister and you need to watch out for her. Do you understand?"

"Yes mama," the little girl called Cat replied and Lily felt herself relax a little. If this was her older sister, she certainly seemed a lot nicer than Petunia. Petunia had been consumed by a bitter jealousy and deep resentment of Lily because of her magic and as soon as the red head had met Severus, their relationship had never been the same.

Despite how bad their relationship had become, Lily had still loved her sister and had been sad at the way things had ended between them.

Perhaps this girl named Cat would be a better way to repair that bond. Maybe this would be her second chance at having a sister.

"What's her name Mama?" the younger girl asked in a babyish voice that was much more muddled than Cat's was.

"Her name is Lilian Lysa," Minisa replied. "But you can call her Lily for sort. Lilian is a bit of a mouthful right now."

"Lily," Cat said thoughtfully as if she were testing how the words sounded on her tongue. "I like it."

"I do too," Minisa replied with amusement. "So does your father. And do you remember our house words Cat?"

"Family, Duty, Honor," the little red head replied proudly.

"That's right," Minisa replied as she sat next to the new babe on the bed. She appeared pleased. "And as your grow up, those words will mean more to you as it comes along. You'll need to teach them to Lily too. She's going to need to know them and to memorize them and to keep them in her heart. We are a family, so duty and honor will always come first. Never forget that."

Lily was listening carefully to the words of her new mother and unknown to her, some of the tension in her heart had eased at hearing those words.

She would learn all about the great houses and their words later, but the concept of those three things was important to know and to her, it already endeared House Tully to her.

She would only realize how much later in life.

Minisa Tully was a little worried however as she sat there in her bed watching her two young daughters look down at their younger sister.

While she was grateful for all of her children, she was beginning to become a little worried that she hadn't produced an heir for Hoster as yet.

He had been a wonderful husband and loved all of his children but she often wondered about her ability to carry on the Tully line.

Catelyn and Lysa had been such darlings thus far and she could see Lilian being the same with the sparkle in her blue green eyes, but she needed a son.

 _If only the realm could accept a woman as an heir to the seat of power. They have made it work in Dorne, so why on earth can they not do it here?_

Some may have called this forward thinking but Minisa Whent didn't think so.

She had always been very conscious of her duty when she was wed to Hoster Tully and hadn't lost sight of the fact that she had a responsibility to bear him sons and carry on the Tully line.

And she was beginning to become worries that it wouldn't happen.

 _Patience Min,_ she thought to herself. _It will all be in the gods good timing. There is a reason for everything they do isn't there?_

She wanted to believe that was true, and really had no other choice to believe otherwise.

Vyman had examined her and proclaimed that she was in perfect health after the birth of her child and she was still able to carry and bear more.

But when?

 _I just need to keep on trying. Hoster has always loved children and he loves the girls with all of his heart. He will love Lilian as well. And I_ will _give him a son. I don't care how long it takes._

Ω

 _Four years later…._

It was odd to be a child again.

Lily's memories of being four in her first life were very fuzzy and so there weren't many memorable experiences she could point to clearly.

As Lilian Tully however, she remembered every major moment that had happened since she opened her eyes in Minisa Whent's arms.

Other than her appearance, which was only slightly altered…everything was incredibly different.

The medievalist society she had been born into was in fact part of a land called Westeros, The land was made of seven major kingdoms and inhabited by seven different houses who ruled these different areas.

Her family, the Tullys were the Lords Paramount of the Trident and principle rulers of the Riverlands in Westeros.

Her father's realm stretched from the borders of the Vale to the edge of the Westerlands and was an enormous territory as far as she knew.

As soon as she could walk, Lily had been shown around the keep of Riverrun, her new home and had noted the position of the library so she could go there are often as she was and get some more knowledge about this new world she was living in.

Lily had always been a voracious reader and the only answers she was going to get in order to survive in this place were in that library.

And so one night when the entirety of the keep was silent and the only sound was the crackling of the fire in Lily's room, the four year old slipped out of her bed and darted to the door.

Her own chambers in Riverrun were much larger than the dorm she had shared with her fellow Gryffindors at Hogwarts. There was a large cherry wood bed to one side of the room with a blazing fire just across from it. The floor were made of hewn stone and there was a large bear skin rug upon the floor that was big enough for Lily to lie down upon it and wrap herself up in the fur like a burrito.

There were two large windows on either side of the fire place that went almost from floor to ceiling. The window seats in them were large enough to sit on and Lily had placed a handful of comfortable cushions upon them so they would be perfect for reading.

But she hadn't had a lot of time to do that because her mother watched her like a hawk. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest child and had more growing up to do, but Minisa rarely let Lily out of her sight.

The small red head really didn't understand why though. She hadn't been sick as a child, she was even keeled and tempered, she didn't even really cry for anything.

Perhaps that was why Minisa always watched her. Because she was so quiet, perhaps the Lady of Riverrun didn't want her to be a simpleton and so watched her constantly to make sure that this was not so.

When Lily came to that conclusion, she had wanted to laugh and then to weep. Her mother didn't understand that she was so quiet because she was still grieving for all that she had lost.

Four years had passed since she opened her eyes in this world and she didn't think she would ever completely heal from the absence of Harry and James and all of her friends in her life.

She had left behind unfinished business and been killed in the prime of her life by a power hungry mad man who was more animal than human.

Her only consolation that she had learned before Death had sent her here was that Harry had lived.

As long as he was alright, she could go on.

The pain had dulled, but not the memory and so she would often spend long hours thinking about her husband and son, not really talking to anyone or spending time with her sisters.

In some ways, Lily was so afraid of her relationship with them turning out like how it had with Petunia that she wasn't willing to put in the effort to really try.

She knew this and it hurt her, but she was terrified that if Cat or Lysa learned about her magic, they would shun her like Petunia had.

And so that was why she was quiet and kept to herself.

The presence of her younger brother Edmure in the keep who had been born two years after she was turned out to be a welcome surprise.

All of the riverlords rejoiced for the Trident had an heir and now Minisa could breathe easy, knowing that she had done her duty to Hoster and provided him with a son.

Lily had never had a brother before and so she was fascinated about this new departure from her old world.

Edmure was a small round pink little thing when he was born and she had had the loudest lungs of any child Lily had ever heard before…even Harry.

He had the blue eyes and auburn locks that were so characteristic of a Tully. And he was not a silent baby.

Maester Vyman made a quiet jape about how the heir to Riverrun was the loudest baby he had ever heard in all of his service to the Tullys. Lily had been the only one to hear it and had chuckled at the time.

Privately she agreed and wondered if her parents before had ever complained about how loud she had been as a baby.

She had a few dim memories of looking at pictures with Rose Evans from when she had been brought home from the hospital. And every single one of them she had had her mouth open in a silent cry.

 _Merlin, I imagine that I was like how Ed is now._

Strangely enough, Lily couldn't bring herself to say his full name. Edmure was such a strange name, why not Edward or Edmund?

But then it was a strange time that she was living in and a strange place as well where nothing seemed to be as it actually was and she would need to accept that in order to not fall into a dark hole of depression as she had been close to doing a few times.

Every time she was tempted to give herself over to sadness and grief in the last few years, something had come along to pull her out of it. Whether that was hew new siblings or the lessons she was learning from Maester Vyman or time spent with her new mother, there was always a situation in which Lily was not left on her own for too long.

And she wasn't certain if she should be annoyed or grateful for that.

But as it stood, she still knew all too little about this world she was living in….this Westeros and she had a burning desire to know more so her time as Lilian Tully wouldn't feel like an out of body experience and more like a life that she had been given.

As painful as it was and as heartbreaking as it was, Harry and James weren't coming back and it had been four years since she had last seen them.

She could imagine James telling her not to wallow in grief. He had hated to see her sad and had always done his utmost to cheer her up.

And even though she hadn't known Harry for that long, she could sense that he wouldn't want her to be sad either.

He was alive and that was enough to know for now.

She hoped he was safe and happy, wherever he was. Sirius would look after him no doubt. And Remus too.

She hoped that when he grew older he would be able to forgive her for leaving him.

All of this passed through Lily's mind as she stood at the door of her chambers, waiting to see if everything was silent in the hall before she slipped out.

It seemed as if the only time she would be able to go to the library was when it was night in Riverrun and all was silent.

She hated her nurse who watched her like a hawk as if Lily was a born klutz who was going to trip and fall at any moment.

She didn't know why Minisa had picked that woman to keep an eye on her. A septa, or a female priest would be appointed to her when she grew older but Lily was doing her best not to think about that right now.

The religion in Westeros was bloody strange.

The magical world in England didn't have a religion and though she had gone to church a few times with her parents before Hogwarts, she could hardly be called devout.

But here, the faith of the Seven was something that was routinely practiced in the southern half of Westeros.

In the north, the religion was quite different and they adhered more to the worship of what was known as the old gods and praying in godswoods rather than in a sept.

The sept in Riverrun was rather large and almost everyone in the keep prayed there at some time or another.

Lily was a little unnerved how deep the faith ran her and it served as an added incentive to keep her magic hidden. There was no telling how the people here in Westeros would take the idea of a major lord having magic.

At best she would be labelled as a heretic and at worst religious people would begin calling for her head.

She needed to keep it to herself, at least for right now.

Right now the two people in the keep she had a feeling she could trust absolutely were Catelyn and Maester Vyman.

It was odd that she now felt comfortable enough to trust her older sister with her secrets, but Lily didn't want to burden the six year old with something as big as magic.

There would be time for that later.

The reason she trued Vyman as much as she did was because of the fact that the man had told her that there was once a time when magic was all over Westeros. Then the glass candles in Oldtown had been lit and the dragons had roamed the land.

But the dragons were gone and the candles had been cold for a very long time.

However, his belief in the idea that magic might one day make a return to Westeros was not lost on Lily and so she had a feeling that when the time came, Vyman would be one of the first people she would tell about who she was.

In the meantime, she pressed her ear against the door and was rewarded with nothing but silence.

Steeling over to her bedside table, Lily too up the candle that was resting on the surface of it and stole out of her chambers into the darkened halls.

Other than a very faint light coming from the windows down the sides of the corridors, everything was pitch black.

Lily shivered slightly and tightened her grip on the candle holder. Riverrun had a habit of being rather cold at night. There was no magical insulation in this keep and the stone floors were always cold.

Even though she had put on her robe, Lily had cast a warming charm on herself for good measure as she stole down the hall.

She had memorized the route to the library ever since she had been able to get up and walk a few years earlier.

It was time to get some answers.

She was a silent shadow on the doors she passed, her little candle casting just enough light for the four year old to see by.

She turned a few corners but not long after, Lily came within the doors of the library and breathed a sigh of relief.

Not wasting a second, she pushed open the tall wooden doors and stole into the cool quiet.

At Hogwarts, the library had always been her favorite place. As she entered the calm silence, the smell of books and parchment assaulted her and the red head unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lumos," she whispered and the room was suddenly ten times brighter than it already was.

Her candle hadn't done much to brighten up the space and she knew she would need to illuminate it much more if she was going to read anything.

The library itself was enormous and was easily as large was the one at Hogwarts. The moment she entered the door she was presented with tall shelves of books upon books upon books.

Because the Lumos charm was so bright she was able to hurry in and spy a table right away before going straight to it.

One good thing that she had discovered in the last few years with the Tullys was the fact that Death had somehow given her wandless magic.

That was why he had broken her wand in half and sent its core right at her. Because of the added bonus of the wands core and her own core aligned already inside of her, Lily had no more need of a device to channel her magic.

And that was extremely helpful as it cancelled out the bursts of accidental magic she might have had if she didn't have a wand.

 _I suppose it's the one thing that I can thank that bastard for._

She set the candle down on the table and immediately hurried to the stacks looking for history books, books on ancestry and basically anything that she could find which told her more about the world she was living in.

Thankfully she only had to levitate a few down from the shelves and placed them on the table as they were too heavy to carry.

From there, Lily sat down on the chair and busied herself with reading.

Needless to say she was amazed at what she found.

She read all about the Children of the Forest and the great land bridge from whence the First Men came, how the two waged war on each other and finally came to some sort of peace agreement.

She read about the peoples from the hills of Andalos and how they sailed across the sea bringing their religion and their weapons with them, conquering all of the first men save the north and slaughtering the Children of the Forest wherever they could find them.

From there, seven kingdoms emerged, the north, the Reach, the east, the west, the Stormlands, Dorne and the Riverlands.

She read about the freehold of Valyria across the sea and their wars with the Ghiscari people and how they and their dragons crushed their empire of old Ghis. She read about how the Doom was brought about this great and magically advanced civilization leaving only the small island of Dragonstone in the Narrow Sea in its wake where there were only a few survivors of the once great empire, the Targaryens.

And then she read about how Aegon and his sister wives Rhaenys and Visenya had come astride their three dragons and conquered all of Westeros. She read about how the dragons burned the last king of the Reach, Merne Gardener and his thousands of souls horrendously alive on the battlefield and how all of Westeros had surrendered to the might of the dragons.

The Tullys had really risen to prominence then, emerging from the shadow of Harren to serve the Targaryens and had been named the Lords Paramount of the Trident. After the lord of Harrenhal and all of his sons roasted alive within its walls, it served a monument to the rest of the world not to cross the Targaryens and their dragons.

The Tullys were the first to bend the knee.

Even though her ancestors here and had been spared the horror of a field of fire, Mern Gardener of the Reach and four thousand of his men had roasted alive inside their armor upon the battle field.

Seeing the carnage, King Loren Lannister of the Rock and Torrhen Stark of the north wisely bent the knee.

The dragons had ruled Westeros ever since.

Lily was both delighted and appalled by the rich history of Westeros as it seemed to be built on a lineage of blood since the days the first men had cross the land bridge to come to Westeros and waged war on the Children of the Forest.

Now that was something she was interested in.

The Isle of Faces, which happened to be located somewhere in the Riverlands was the place where a pact was forged between the Children and the First Men to end the fighting between them. In honor of it, a face was carved into the trunk of every tree in the island.

Rumor had it that the Children of the Forest and the fabled Green Men were still there, tending to and caring for the island.

The religion of the First Men was fascinating to Lily as it seemed much more mystical than those of the Andals who came with their weapons of steel from across the sea.

She also disliked the idea of prophecy which had led to the Andals conquest of the southern half of Westeros. Their seven faced god had told them to wage here and so they had, chasing the First Men of the south from their homes and driving them to extinction or into the mountains.

Her hands gripped the sides of the book when she read that passage so hard that she was afraid she had torn the page for a moment.

After some reasoning however, she calmed herself down.

One could hardly blame Lily for hating the idea of a prophecy however. It was a similar thing that had cost her life and James life and left Harry alone because a mad man had believed in it.

Said mad man had thus destroyed whatever future she and James and Harry might have had, so her dislike for the faith of the seven was acute and swift.

Lily had nothing against religion, she just disliked people who used it as an excuse to fight wars and kill people all for something of their own personal gain.

Thank goodness the Andals hadn't succeeded in subduing the north.

Her own family's reliance on religion was something that made her wary. She would need to temper that situation with common sense.

Catelyn who was seven at this time was already emulating their mother in everything Minisa did. She prayed with her in the Sept and Lily had also caught her older sister praying by herself when Minisa was pregnant with Edmure.

They had all prayed for an heir to Riverrun but while Lily had hoped, her older sister and mother seemed too caught on _the_ Mother for fertility and a safe birth.

How much religion was a factor of the culture here was worrying to Lily.

But for the moment she only had concerns and no facts. So all she could do was wait and watch.

And perhaps study as well.

Because of the eidetic memory she had had at Hogwarts which enabled to get to the top of her class every school year, she had no problem remembering what she had studied.  
In a way, Death had simply transported her brain and memories into the mind of a child and sent her to another world where she was going to have to learn and adjust.

Even though she was only four Lily knew that the one she lived in was as backwards as the Middle Ages and the pureblood society she had come from. She was no stranger to the idea of arranged marriages and dowries but here it was all about who had the most power and which matches would be most advantageous for the bride's family.

Her own mother in this world, Minisa Whent had had an arranged marriage to Hoster Tully and even though theirs had become one of love for which Lily was grateful as it made her adjustment easier, the idea was still a shocking one to her.

Having to come to terms with having people serve her was a big adjustment period as well. Her family never treated their servants unkindly, just the opposite in face. The Tullys were beloved for their acts of charity throughout the Riverlands both to the poor and to their bannermen who were as loyal to them as any of the bannermen of the north were to the Starks.

Lily was glad her new mother took such an interest in the poor and had made them loyal to her family.

Having servants and maids wait on her was an adjustment period but after taking a lot of time to think about it, Lily began to realize even as a four year old that life in Westeros could not be lived the same way as life at Hogwarts and she would just have to adjust.

In the meantime when she grew older, she wanted to participate in these acts of charity that her mother oversaw and earn the favor of the people as well.

She had always wanted to fight for the rights of those who didn't have any and she could still do that here.

Slaves however were banned in Westeros which was something she was very grateful to know. However, across the Narrow Sea in Westeros, slaves were an integral part of the economy which was beyond appalling to the youngest Tully daughter. She was almost glad that she didn't have full range of her linguistic ability yet or she would have cursed every slaver to the Seven Hells. At least the land she lived in wasn't so backwards that they had to rely on that horribly form of moneymaking.

There was so much to learn and so much history to uncover.

Lily continued reading for what seemed like hours and hours, making careful notes in the book she had brought with her and turning page after page in order to read more.

The red head didn't even realize that the night was slowly waning and the grey light of dawn in the east was becoming brighter until something happened to distract her.

She had become so engrossed in her reading that she wasn't aware of how fast the time had gone by until she heard the sound of a throat clearing in front of her.

Lily jumped and would have knocked the candle over in her surprise before cutting the lumos charm and looking up into the wide and surprised eyes of Maester Vyman.

She wanted to curse. _What is he doing up this early? Everyone is supposed to still be in bed!_

The maester blinked at the sudden lack of light and frowned. "What on earth are you doing in here my lady?"

Lily blinked and wondered if he was going to comment on the very bright light that her magic had caused before she realized he had asked her a question.

There was no point in lying then.

"Reading," Lily replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

The maester's eyes narrowed even further and then widened as he stepped forward and looked at the stack of books in front of her. "You read all of these Lady Lily?"

He was the one person that didn't call her by her full name and for that Lily was happy. He was one of her favorite people in the keep as he was a fountain of knowledge and had a wealth of patience for every question she asked.

Lily nodded and could feel the maester's calculating eyes on her.

"Why?" he asked.

Lily shrugged. "I like to read. And mother never lets me out of her sight during the day time so I waited until everyone was asleep and then came here to read."

She could feel the complete incredulousness from Vyman even here. "But to read all of this my lady at your age? Your sisters never did that."

Lily raised an eyebrow at the aging man. "Maybe I'm just more ambitious than they are."

To her surprise Vyman laughed. "Well I should say so. This is remarkable my lady. You have the makings of a prodigy indeed!"

 _No maester…I'm just a twenty one year old in a four year olds body._

The maester was eying the books she was reading with interest. "Am I correct in assuming that you don't want your mother to know about this Lady Lilian?"

Uh oh, full names.

"Yes please Maester Vyman," Lily replied.

Vyman nodded sharply. "Then I suggest we put all of the books back where they were found and if you want more knowledge after this….come to me and we can start there."

Lily looked at the maester for a long time before a small smile came over her face and she nodded.

There was a reason Vyman was one of her favorite people in the keep. "I will."

"Good, then lets put these books away and be off from here before the sun rises and your Lady mother has both of our heads."

Ω

 **A little boring I know, but it was sort of necessary to set up Lily's place in Riverrun. Vyman will be an important character as time goes on as well. Also, just a side note. It is surprising to me that some of my subscribers think that just because I am going to pair Lily with Robert, that automatically means he will be the same as he is in canon. Guys, this AU. Robert is going to be different. Not at first but knowing and loving Lily and her giving him her love is going to change him. So don't be so quick to say that Lily deserves better than Robert if you don't actually know how he is going to turn out. And for the record, the only bastards that Robert is going to have in this story are the ones he fathered before and during the Rebellion, the ones after aren't going to exist. I'm a little bewildered by the fact that some of you are saying you're not going to read this story just because of the pairing. To this I say, you do you but at the same time, don't be so quick to judge a story or a pairing for that matter only two chapters in. Nor for that matter would I keep Robert the exact same as he was in canon if I was going to pair him with Lily. I _know_ she deserves better than canon Robert which is good because he's not going to be canon for very long. He'll still retain a bit of a rough around the edges personality and a blistering temper at times as well as an unhealthy obsession with war, but the drunken whore mongering Robert that we all know is going to be different. Just keep that in mind when you decide you don't want to read a story just because you don't like one of the characters in the main pairing. I know what I am doing. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There were a few thing that Lily quickly became aware of growing up as a Tully. She and Cat and Lysa were all a similar age so their basic needs were pretty much equivalent. They were usually hungry at the same time, tired at the same time, thirsty at the same time and happy or sad at the same time.

Lily's sorrow however sometimes went deeper than theirs. She could already speak better than they could and reason and argue with a dexterity that surprised and amused both of her parents.

She was rather protective of Edmure who was the only son and heir to Riverrun, a concept which thoroughly annoyed Lily at times.

The fact that Death had sent her to an altogether backward, archaic and hopelessly oligarchical society such as Westeros was like jabbing the screw in and twisting it all the way around.

For someone like Lily who had been completely twenty first century in her thinking about the natural way of things, it was a big shock. Common women were treated like second class citizens here and the noble women like prize tools and cattle to be bought or sold. And the more powerful a man was, the more powerful a man his daughter would go to.

It was disgusting for someone with Lily's sensibilities.

Because her father had three daughters it would mean a lot of marriage alliances for him and it would no doubt be something that he would capitalize on heavily when the time came.

The heirs to the north and the south were all reasonably young as well which would easily present marriage alliances for his Hoster's two eldest daughters.

Lily was just thankful she was the third child and daughter and would be somewhat overlooked when it came to furthering Tully influence.

Having a marriage arranged for her to some old noble made the young red head feel physically ill. She knew there were some examples in which such a union worked out like her own parents but at the same time there were many examples in which it didn't work out as well.

And then there was the matter of inbreeding here.

In magical England, she had heard of cousins marrying cousins in order to keep their lines pure and had been thoroughly disgusted by the concept.

Sirius had told her that his younger brother Regulus had originally been planned to wed his cousin Narcissa before she had been snatched up by Lucius Malfoy and Lily had remembered pulling a face.

Thank goodness Sirius had left that life behind before his parents forced him into a marriage with someone like Bellatrix Lestrange. Walburga and Orion Black had been cousins as well and when Lily thought of some of the stories Sirius had told her about his harpy of a mother and her insane ideas about beheading the house elves when they were too old to serve, she was convinced that inbreeding had something to do with it.

And in Westeros it was perfectly normal for cousins to marry cousins! Inbreeding was encouraged here!

In fact the king himself was wed to his own sister as a way of keeping his own blood as pure as possible.

When Lily had read about the customs of the Targaryens and how they had wed brother to sister for centuries before they had ever come to Westeros, she had felt her stomach physically revolt.

Swallowing down the bile in her throat, she had kept reading and discovered the many years' worth of cruelty and madness that had come along with this disgusting practice.

Aegon the Conqueror had come to Westeros with his two sister wives Rhaenys and Visenya both of whom had given him two sons. One had literally inherited the title of _the cruel._ He had forced thousands of workers to build the Red Keep in the capital and then had executed them all so the secret of the building process would never be revealed.

He had been exiled from Westeros and then only recalled when his line was in jeopardy. The reign of the Targaryens had been marked by civil war, religious instability, the wars of their cadet branch House Blackfyre which had come when some idiot king on his death bed had legitimized all of his bastards.

The war of the Nine Penny kings they had called it.

Lily was inclined to believe that inbreeding and an insane desire for power had at least been the cause of some of it.

Granted there were a few Targaryens like King Baelor who had walked barefoot from the capital to Dorne in order to establish peace with the Rhoynar. The alliance with them had come through marriage as peace could not be achieved any other way.

Baelor had somehow escaped the strain of madness and had gone out of his way to promote peace.

But those examples were few and far between. And now after the tragedy of Summerhall that had taken place only a few years before Lily's birth, there were now fewer Targaryens than ever before.

The crown only had one heir and even Lily who had been a muggleborn before all of this had happened, understood the problems that only having one successor could cause.

For one thing it made the crown appear weak and vulnerable to outside attacks outside of the realm and opened up the possibility for the potential extinction of House Targaryen. Lines ended when few or no successors were found or born.

And right now, the Targaryen line was balanced on the edge of a knife.

If Rhaegar Targaryen turned out to be the only heir the crown produced than the king would be forced to look for a bride for his son and all the other noble families would be circling like vultures for a piece of the action.

And Lily was disgusted.

 _That bastard really had it in for me when he sent me here,_ she seethed to herself as she slammed the book shut and rested her head in her hands. _I'm only eight years old now and I need to worry about marriage alliances and whether or not I'll be sold to some old and decrepit fool and be forced to bear his children!_

While Lily wasn't a proponent of murder, all bets were off since the war had begun and she had had to prepare herself for the possibility that she might come out of it with blood on her hands.

And while a war wasn't being waged here in Westeros, Lily was fully prepared to get her hands dirty before she would subject herself to the horror of an arranged marriage to some drunk abuser or a senile old fool.

She knew she would have no choice when the time came but the last thing she wanted to do was use Unforgivables to help her get away.

Lily had made a promise to herself a long time ago that she would only ever use Unforgivables if someone she loved was threatened.

Almost everything she did, she did for love. It was how she had ended up here after all.

And as far as she knew, there was no one else around her who had magic like she did.

She would be a complete anomaly in Westeros. She had almost unlimited power and there would be no one who would be able to stop her if she didn't want them to.

When Death had transferred the core of her wand into her by breaking it and sending the magic at her, she essentially had two cores in her body now that were perfectly aligned making her able to practice wandless magic with ease.

It was an extreme convenience and it also ensured that she was able to not have the accidental spurts of magic she had had before she had gotten a wand to control them.

 _I imagine that someone like Voldemort would have a hell of a time here,_ she thought to herself. _He would have unlimited Muggles to play games with all day and no one would be able to stop him. Well….perhaps someone with a well-placed arrow from a great distance._

She shuddered as a dark memory washed over her of high pitched screaming and a bright flash of green.

Swallowing hard, Lily did her best to stop thinking about Harry and her past life as she opened up a new book that Vyman had given her.

One of the books he ahd told her to read had to do with the ancestral castle of Riverrun itself.

Lily had learned a good deal about geography from that book which told her that Riverrun was situated in the western half of the river lands at the confluence of the Tumblestone and the Red Fork rivers. It was located north of Pinkmaiden and northwest of Acorn Hall. The castle itself sat along the river road which linked Lannisport and the other crossroads.

It was a strong three sided castle which was not especially large but size was not important in this case.

It was bordered on the north by the Tumblestone and on the south by the Red Fork wile on the west side it faced a massive manmade ditch.

In times of danger, the sluice gate could be opened to fill a wide moat and leave the castle surrounded on all three sides by water which turned it into an island and made it practically unassailable.

Riverrun had sandstone walls which rose sheer from the water. It's battlements were crenelated and had arrow loops. Its towers commanded the opposite shores.

The Wheel Tower had a great waterwheel turned by the Tumblestone which led to the Water Gate, a wide and narrow arch and a heavy iron portcullis which was red with rust in its lower half.

One needed a boat to go through it and most of the boasts were tied up within the Water Gate and secured by iron rings to the walls.

There was a staircase there named the Water Stair and which led from the lower bailey up to the castle.

The keep itself was triangular. There was a large triangular stone balcony that jutted out eastwards towards the Vale that was attached to her father's solar. The great hall of Riverrun was where large councils were held and where the seat of the Tullys was located.

There was also a godswood in Riverrun. It was a bright airy garden with elms, redwoods wildflowers and nesting birds and streams. The heart tree located there was a slender carved weirwood.

The sept of Riverrun was a seven sided sandstone building amidst the gardens that Minisa loved so much. Inside, images of the Seven were painted on marble and a rainbow of light constantly filled the sept.

The dungeons of Riverrun that Lily had explored with Edmure not long ago were windowless and damp. Their doors were made of wood and iron.

But it was the history of the castle that fascinated Lily the most.

During the time of the First Men, House Tully had served House Mudd of Oldstones but King Tristifer IV Mudd was killed during the Andal invasion. After his death, Ser Axel Tully constructed the ancestral red keep at the juncture of the Red Fork with the Tumblestone on land he had been given from the Andal King, Armistead Vance.

The position had brought wealth and power to the Tullys who guarded the western river lands from the Kingdom of the Rock.

The castle had rarely been surrendered and had never fallen by storm. The Tullys had ruled those lands for at least a thousand years.

When the Targaryens had arrived, Lord Edmyn Tully had raised the standard for House Targaryen above Riverrun beginning the rebellion of the Riverlords against Harren Hoare, the king of the Isles and the Rivers.

After Harrenhal was burned, Aegon Targaryen named Edmyn Tully, the First Lord Paramount of the Trident.

Hundreds of years later during the Dance of Dragons, Ser Elmo Tully – Lily had nearly burst out laughing when she had read that – barred the castles gates against the wishes of his father who had supported the greens while Elmo and his son Kermit – another round of laughter here – had actively supported the blacks.

Lily gobbled up all of this information voraciously, surprising Vyman with how fast she read.

Since that early morning when he had caught her in the library reading from the thick dusty tomes, he had been quietly giving her advanced lessons on healing numbers history and politics that pertained to the river lands in general.

He had explained to her parents that Lady Lilian was a prodigy who had already taught herself to read and write and understand the history books.

Both Minisa and Hoster were understandably stunned but when Vyman asked Lily to read a certain passage about the invasion of the Targaryens to them and explained what it meant, her mother looked like she was going to burst into tears and Hoster looked fit to burst with pride.

From then on, they had ensured she had private lessons with Vyman who was instructed to nurture her gifts as much as possible.

Minisa considered her daughter's sharp intelligence as a blessing from the Mother, while Hoster simply thought it good fortune. He was a little upset that all of his children did not have Lily's genius and wondered if it was a good idea for a woman to have such intelligence as it might be a turn off for a potential husband.

Lily had been appalled when she had heard that and was once more furious at the backwards society that she had been sent to.

She had never aspired to compromise herself for anyone despite the fact that she had been a muggleborn in a pure blood society when she was at school. And she didn't intent to do so here.

She was from a noble family with power and influence and Merlin help her if she wasn't going to do everything she could with wat she had not only to be herself but to help other to do so as well.

She was now eight years old and nearly a decade had gone by since she had last seen James or Harry.

The ache had dulled some…but it was still there.

It was then that an old saying of Rose Evans had come back to her as clear as the ringing of a bell.

 _The best way to stop feeling sorry for yourself…is to stop thinking about yourself._

And Lily grudgingly agreed.

If she wanted to push past the ache in her heart and not spend the rest of her life wallowing in self-pity, she needed to do something where she wasn't the center of attention.

She needed to stop focusing on her grief and pay attention to other things. Namely her new family.

Catelyn was a carbon copy of their mother Minisa always wanting to be the perfect lady like she was and following everything their mother said to do.

Lysa was a much more whimsical personality and Lily got the distinct feeling that she was a little jealous of their older sister.

Lily would make no bones about the fact that Catelyn was prettier than Lysa and it seemed both sisters knew it.

Lily tried to stay out of such petty intrigues even though it did make her smile to hear her younger brother Edmure say that out of all of his sisters, he thought Lily was the prettiest.

As if such things mattered.

Lily was concerned however because she could sense a rift growing between her two older sisters even now.

Catelyn was eleven and Lysa was ten and as the eldest Tully daughter, Catelyn would no doubt have the best match made for her while Lysa would probably be wed off to one of the sons of Hoster's bannermen.

Merlin she hoped it wouldn't be a Frey.

Lily for her part wasn't interested in that. She read ferociously and wasn't at all inclined towards the barest concepts of being a lady.

If Catelyn was a duty bound little automaton and Lysa was a whimsical dreamer who was slightly eccentric, than Lily was a straight forward and practical as they came.

Even back in England she hadn't been predisposed to wearing dresses only for special occasions and had preferred books to gossip.

Here she was far more interested in something that was nearly taboo for ladies to engage in….sword play.

While Catelyn would sometimes sit for hours with their mother just to hear stories of court and beg to go with their father the next time she went…Lily could care less.

Lily could care less.

The further away she was from the insane king sitting on the throne the better.

Especially as she knew he had been obsessed with magic and dragons as a way to ensure the dominance of House Targaryen.

Someone like her would have been a boon for him.

That was another reason she was eying the swords of Riverrun with interest.

As soon as she saw the master at arms at Riverrun teaching the squires on how to use a sword, she wanted to learn how too. She wanted to use a sword and ride a horse and shoot a bow.

Severus had always told her that she had been appallingly feminist when they were in school, insisting that girls could do everything boys could and then some. She had proven it by being the top in her class every single year for all seven years she was in school.

And here it was very much the same. Dresses were inhibiting and restrictive when all she wanted to do was to run, climb trees and do all the sorts of things that boys could and girls couldn't.

When she would complain about this Edmure, he would tell her that she should come and watch him practice with his wooden swords. She might be able to learn something then.

Edmure was only six but he was already learning how to use a short wooden sword with the master at arms of Riverrun.

Lily had voiced her desire to learn as well more than once but her parents had just ignored her, claiming that ladies didn't use swords.

Lily would then grumble that maybe she didn't want to be a lady.

Hoster would laugh and saw she was just like her Uncle Brynden. He had never ascribed to what his family thought he should do either and thus had earned the title of the Blackfish.

Lily had heard incredible stories about her uncle and had been longing to meet him but he hadn't been back to Riverrun since before she was born.

Until she was eight years old however.

It all began one morning when she was avoiding her embroidery lesson with her septa and instead choosing to watch Edmure at his lesson. He was heavily padded and swinging about a wooden practice sword as that was all Minisa would let him touch at the moment.

As soon as Lily had seen him from the window of her mother's solar where she had been stabbing at her embroidery with a needle and pretending it was a sword, she had made up some excuse that Maester Vyman wished to see her and scooted from the room before the septa could ask where she was going.

Once she was free, she had run down the halls of the keep to Vyman's study and told him in no uncertain terms that if her mother asked where she was then to please say he had sent her to the library.

The red head had then run off, forcing the aging maester to chuckle and think that Lady Lilian was the most rebellious Tully daughter that he had ever seen.

Lily had then snuck out to the training yard and leaned against the post watching her heavily padded six year old brother swing his sword at the master at arms.

"You need to plant your feet Lord Edmure," the master instructed. "A strong stance is crucial in a fight. If you are unbalanced on your feet it will be that much easier to knock you into the dirt."

Edmure huffed. "It's hard to be balanced when I feel like a stuffed pig with all of this padding. Why does mother make me wear so much anyway?"

"Because you're her only son Ed," Lily called out causing her little brother to start in surprise and whirl about. "And she doesn't want you to do yourself injury."

Edmure grinned upon seeing her. "Lily! I didn't know you would be watching me!"

She smiled back. "I wouldn't miss it for the world Ed! Plus its as close to a sword as mother will let me get."

"Don't worry," her little brother said in a whisper as if what he was about to say was a secret. Whatever you learn, I'll teach you."

"Lily winked conspiratorially at him. "I'll hold you to it. Now get back to your lesson. I'll stand here and watch."

"Okay."

Edmure turned around and trundled back over to the master at arms who nodded at her.

Desmond Grell was a quiet man who spoke more with his sword than his tongue but Lily liked that about him. He rarely joked and when he did it was only about something that was exceptionally funny.

But he was a little too loyal to er father and Lily had stymied her desire to ask him to train her for fear that Hoster would find out.

No doubt if she did ask, it would be something that was reported to him and she would never be able to set foot in the training yard again shy of magic use.

So for right now she decided she needed to bide her time. It was a sneaky thing to do and something she didn't altogether like but her desire to learn how to use a sword was greater than her thoughts of honor at the moment.

She watched Edmure plant his feet more firmly, gripping the hilt of his wooden sword in both hands this time, a determined expression on his little face.

And then all of a sudden there was a shout from the walls and the busyness that seemed to surround the courtyard of Riverrun increased by three times.

Desmond Grell lowered his own practice sword and glanced at Edmure for a moment before bellowing something to one of the footmen that was hurrying past.

"You there! Who comes to Riverrun?"  
The footman slowed to a halt and seemed to be disgruntled in his task.

He nodded at Grell. "Begging your pardon Ser Desmond but Ser Brynden Tully and a small party are approaching. Lord Hoster was made of aware of the sighting of his brother's banners an hour ago."

He hurried off and Lily stared after him in amazement. Uncle Brynden was here? The knight she had heard so many stories about?

Edmure hurried over to her, padding and all looking for all the world like an overgrown marshmallow.

"Uncle Brynden is here?" he asked in excitement having also heard the stories.

"It looks like it Ed," Lily muttered back.

The words had no sooner left her mouth when there was a horn blast and then great gates of Riverrun opened to allow a small party astride horses through.

They all carried the banners of House Tully, the silver trout on a field of red and blue. Lily wondered to herself why they hadn't chosen a more imposing creature to be the sigil of their house. A fish was hardly something to inspire fear.

 _You're still a lion at heart,_ she thought with a grim smile. _All animals look weak in comparison._

Her eyes zeroed in on the man leading them and Lily knew right away that this was Brynden Tully.

He was tall and lean as he saw astride his horse. He was clean shaven but his face appeared almost craggy and was wind burnt like he had spent far too much time in the open air.

His auburn hair was fading slightly and Lily could see the beginnings of salt and pepper coloring around his temples. He had bushy eyebrows and bright blue eyes that were sharp and snapped as they looked about.

He was dressed in grey armor with a black sort of collar about his neck and she could see the engravings of a trout upon it. There was a long sword at his waist and the standard of House Tully flapped and danced about in the wind.

"Is that Uncle Brynden?" Edmure asked Lily in a rather loud stage whisper.

"I think so," she whispered back.

She grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go meet him."

Edmure nodded and the two children hurried over to where the men were dismounting from their horses before the main hall of Riverrun.

Vyman in his long robes was hurrying down the steps of the keep trying not to trip as he hurried up to the Blackfish.

"Ser Brynden!" he called and their uncle looked up from where he was removing something from his saddle bag. "Welcome back to Riverrun. It is indeed good to see you again."

The auburn haired knight offered the aging maester a smile. "And you as well Vyman. Is my brother in?"

"He should be along any moment now," Vyman offered.

It was then that Ser Brynden caught sight of Lily and Edmure standing off to one side and watching the proceedings.

He smiled slightly. "These must be my youngest niece and my nephew."

"Indeed," Vyman replied. "They are. These are –"

"We can introduce ourselves Maester Vyman," Lily interrupted looking up at her uncle that she had never met with no fear. "My name is Lilian but you can call me Lily."

She nudged her brothers arm for him to do the same and he started. "And my name is Edmure. I'm the heir to Riverrun."

Brynden stared at Lily for a long moment before tipping his head back and bursting out laughing. "Oh by brother will have his hands full with you little one! He wrote to tell me that his youngest daughter was a spit fire and I knew I had to meet her. How old are you child?"

"I'm eight," Lily said proudly even though her mind was twenty one. "And Ed here is six."

Her little brother nodded eagerly.

Still chuckling Brynden knelt down so he was eye level with his niece and nephew. "Is that so?" And I can see by all the padding you have on you were having a sword lesson weren't you boy?"

"Yes uncle Brynden," Edmure replied eagerly.

"Good!" the Blackfish barked before straightening up. "Every boy should begin learning how to use a sword as early as possible. You are the heir to Riverrun boy. You need to learn how to defend her from her enemies. Will you promise to do that?"

"Yes uncle," Ed replied with as much seriousness as a six year old could muster.

"Good," Brynden barked again. "Then as a sigh of that promise, I have something for you."

"He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a short sword that was as long as Edmure's practice sword but the only difference was that this one was metal. The blade itself wasn't enormous or fancy but at the same time there was a leather wrapping around the hilt which made for a better grip and the ends of the crossguard were twisted into a spiral sort of pattern.

Edmure's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Is that for me?"

"Aye," Brynden Tully replied. "Once you master the wooden sword, you will master the one of steel. I'll give it to the maester for safe keeping for right now and when he thinks you have advanced enough, you will practice with this one alright?"

"Alright," Ed replied his blue eyes shining as bright as two stars.

Brynden turned and handed the sword to Vyman who carefully ensured that that the blade was wrapped in a cloth so there weren't any accidents.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you Lilian," Brynden replied turning back to Lily. He pulled something else out of his saddlebag and then knelt back down before her keeping it hidden behind his back.

"In your father's letter's to me, he informed me that you remind him a lot of me when he and I were younger…stubborn…fiery and not wanting to do things the conventional way. He also told me that you never wanted to sit and learn things like embroidery but that you would rather watch the squires practice archery or fight or ride their horses."

Lily made a face. "Sewing is stupid. Why can't I learn to fight with a sword?"

Brynden threw back his head and laughed uproariously for a moment. "Oh aye, you are most certainly like me! And that is why I brought this for you."

From behind his back, he brought forth a small dagger. It was encased in a leather scabbard that was red in color and attached to a belt that could be used to wrap around her waist.

With her eyes almost as wide as Ed's had been, Lily reached for it and pulled off the strap that was keeping the dagger encased in the scabbard.

As she pulled it out, there was a small metallic screeching sound as if the blade was rubbing against another piece of metal.

When Lily pulled it out she was pleased to see that the dagger was the length of both of her hands placed atop the other. The blade was curved on one side almost like it was meant for carving meat off an animal and the other side was perfectly straight.

There was a small red colored gem embedded in the swirled pommel at the base of the hilt and the blade was clear enough that Lily could see her reflection in it.

It was perfect.

"Thank you Uncle Brynden," Lily said in a hushed voice.

"Use it well girl," Brynden replied with a twinkle in his eyes as he watched her. And then his voice lowered exponentially. "And when you want to learn how to use it…come find me and I will teach you."

Lily's eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly.

"Brynden!"

Lily swung around and hid the blade behind her back as she did so and saw her father hurrying down the steps of the keep towards the three of them. Her mother was behind him and Catelyn and Lysa were trailing behind her.

The Blackfish winked conspiratorially at the both of them and got to his feet in time to clasp hands with his brother.

"Good to see you again, you made good time," the Lord of Riverrun said.

"Aye we did. It is good to be home again."

It was only when they were standing close together that Lily could see the sharp similarities between both Tully brothers. They both had deep red curls and striking blue eyes. Their builds were similar, both strong and lean and they had weathered faces as if they had spent a lot of time beneath the sun toiling and fighting in their youth.

"It will always be your home Brynden," Lily's mother said with a smile before stepping forward.

The Blackfish bore a fond smile. "Minisa you look as lovely as ever."

He bowed formally to her and then kissed her hand causing the Lady of Riverrun to smile.

He then greeted Catelyn and Lysa in the same manner, causing both of them to blush.

"Mother! Edmure interrupted as the adults began to converse about adult things. "You should see what Uncle Brynden brought me and Lily!"

"Oh Minisa asked raising an eyebrow at her good brother who simply smiled. "And what was that Edmure?"

"A practice sword!" Ed burst out before Lily could stop him. "And it's a metal one too! He says I can practice with it when I get good enough with the wooden one."

Lily sighed and wanted to smack her forehead with her hand. Ed was many things but subtle was not one of them.

"Is that so?" Minisa asked eyeing Hoster who looked as if he were trying not to laugh and failing miserably. "Was that such a good idea Brynden?"

"Oh Minisa, the lad is going to be the Lord of Riverrun one day. You must let him have his fun now before he forgets what it is like. Is that not right Hoster?"

Lily's father bristled slightly and the red head narrowed her eyes as she looked between her father and her uncle.

She knew that they loved each other but at the time of her grandfather's death and Hoster's ascension to Lord of Riverrun, he had tried to betroth Brynden to Bethany Redwyne to which her uncle staunchly refused.

It had caused enormous strain on their relationship and they hadn't spoken for some time since. It had been some time ago though and they were well on their way to mending their relationship since then.

But to this day, Brynden had never married and no one knew why.

Lily had learned all of this from Maester Vyman about a year ago when she had studied with him and learned about the ancestry of her house.

"Why don't you come in and rest Brynden?" Minisa broke in to interrupt what might have been an awkward silence. "You must be tired."

"Actually I feel well rested Minisa, thank you," the Blackfish replied easily. "I would actually like to see Edmure's lesson."

"Very well," Minisa replied. She turned to her youngest daughter. "Come along Lily, your embroidery lesson was not finished when you snuck out to watch you brother."

Lily's cheeks turned red but she decided she wasn't going to back down this time, and felt strangely confident with her formidable uncle beside her.

"The only good thing about embroidery is getting to stick things with the needle," she all but snapped. "I want to watch Ed."

Minisa looked disapproving and cast an eye about the courtyard but no one was paying attention to them as Brynden's men had all gone to brush down their horses.

"Now Lily," she replied, "if you don't learn your embroidery how do you expect to be a proper lady?"

Lily narrowed her eyes, her inner feminist boiling over. She had come to a backwards society which was worse than the magical one in many ways as arranged marriages were a dime a dozen, women were ornaments and men did everything.

This was what they had fought against Voldemort to end, prejudice, blood supremacy and oppression.

She may have died in that world by the mad man's hand but that didn't mean she had to take it here!

"But I don't want to be a lady!" she said stamping her foot. "Ladies are boring. They do nothing but sit in rooms all day sewing and learning how to dance and play instruments. What's interesting about that? I want to be like Uncle Brynden and learn how to fight and ride a horse and shoot a bow!"

She did her best not to sound like a petulant child as she really wasn't. But Lily had had it with her mother's ideals in this world about what a woman should be.

As far as she was concerned, a woman could be anything she wanted to be.

Neither James nor Severus would have stifled her like they were trying to do here. Both men treated her like she was her own person and she had loved them for it.

Here she was expected to be some sort of glorified doll who would gossip with other women and be expected to be seen and not heard.

And that was not something that Lily Evans Potter Tully was going to gods damn it!

Minisa's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to rebuke her daughter but thankfully Brynden chose that moment to jump in.

"I'll keep an eye on her Minisa. Edmure's lesson shouldn't take long and I'll bring her back after."

Minisa Tully pursed her lips for a moment and then gave a tiny nod before whirling about and striding back to the keep with Catelyn and Lysa following.

Cat cast a reproachful eye back over her shoulder at her sister and Lily had a feeling that her older sister would want to talk to her later.

Hoster sighed and ran a hand through his hair, muttering something about how having in a keep with four women was going to be the death of him.

He exchanged a look with his brother and must have agreed with what he had seen because he strongly charged Lily to stay with her uncle and then turned around and followed his wife back to the keep.

"She was really mad," Ed whispered when they were gone. "I hope you don't get in trouble Lily."

Lily shrugged. "She's always trying to make me do things I don't want to do. I don't want to learn how to dance and I don't want to learn how to sew. I like to read and I want to learn to fight. Why is that so hard for her to understand?"

Brynden Tully sighed before placing a hand on his niece's shoulder. "Sometimes people are afraid of things that are different lass. Your older sisters follow your mother's every word and action but you don't so that makes you different. It makes you stubborn and fiery and ambitious. And that difference is what makes you unique. No matter what happens…don't let anyone take it away."

Lily looked up at her uncle who had pulled her to a stop in the middle of the courtyard while her little brother ran ahead chattering away.

He looked down at her, his blue eyes seemingly becoming even sharper. "Do you understand Lilian?"

"Yes Uncle Brynden," she replied, her own large green and blue eyes narrowed in her little face. "I do."

"Good," he replied. "Now come on. Let's see what your brother can do with a sword."

Ω

 **So I know Desmond Grell wasn't made master at arms at Riverrun until Cat married Ned, but for all intents and purposes he is the master at Riverrun now because I don't know who was the master at arms before him. Also Brynden is going to be a very big part of Lily's support system and one of the first to learn about her magic. The second will be Edmure who Lily is going to be more close with than Cat or Lysa. She will still love them and care about what happens to them but since Edmure is her only brother and she's never had one before the experience is all very new to her. Petyr Baelish will make an appearance in the next chapter and we will get the ball rolling with his story at Riverrun. Also it sort of makes sense to me while Lily would bite so hard at the bit of what gender roles were in Westeros. She's a twenty first century female with a fiery temper and an attitude that girls can do everything boys can so I tried to capture that here. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The presence of Brynden Tully in Riverrun alleviated some of the pressure on Lily from her mother's part. Having her uncle in her corner to go to bat for her when he felt that Minisa wasn't letting her have the time to be a child and have fun and pursue her own interests was a great relief to Lily.

Uncle Brynden understood her in a way that her sisters and most certainly her mother didn't understand.

Hoster was too busy with the running of the Riverlands to pay too much attention to what his four children were doing and Minisa had hooked her claws into Catelyn so deep that Lily had a sinking suspicion that her and her sister's relationship would forever be different because of their interests.

Catelyn wanted to be just like their mother while Lily would have liked nothing better than to be like her Uncle.

He was wild and fierce and loved to laugh. He brought a sunshine to the dreary halls of Riverrun that Lily didn't even realize had been missing before.

While both she and Ed loved to play and laugh, their uncle had a deep booming voice that filled the halls with his storytelling and laughter causing the countenances of others to light all the way up.

Lily found herself neglecting more and more of her sewing lessons and spending time with her uncle and brother in the sparring yards of Riverrun, learning as much as she could about how to ride a horse, shoot a bow and use a sword.

Her uncle declared that she had the build for more of a Braavosi water dancer than that of a typical broadsword. He declared her fast and agile on her feet, saying her speed would aid in her a fight more than her strikes would.

She would tire somebody out enough to deliver the fatal blow.

He didn't know that Lily's speed was attributed to her magic. Somehow it had made her slightly faster than before, something she was convinced had to do with when Death had broken her wand in half and had her absorb the magic that was flying at her from it.

There really was no other explanation as to why magic was so easy for her now. When she had still been in England she had had a lot of time on her hands. Towards the end of her life, she and James had never left Godric's Hollow and so Lily had taken to reading up on rare magical practices that took a lot of time and effort to accomplish.  
One of them had been wandless magic.

She had gotten to the point where she could perform a few simple charms without the help of her wand but it had always drained her.

And then she had died and it hadn't mattered anymore.

Now all she had to do was think about something happening and it was done.

Lily found she didn't even have to speak the words aloud, she could move her lips or whisper them under the breath and suddenly a book was flying across the room towards her or she had conjured a quill out of thin air when she couldn't find the one she had last used.

This was especially helpful when sewing as Lily could merely blink and the needle would dance on its own.

She had to be careful during this time however because Minisa and the septa would watch her like a hawk to see how she was doing.

Catelyn was increasingly frustrated that her sister's stitches were neater tighter and faster than hers and her glare was indicative of emerald envy every time the septa would praise Lily's work in an extremely baffled manner.

Lysa….well Lysa barely noticed anything about her surroundings these days. Lily's second oldest sister had always been a whimsical dreamer off in her own little world dreaming about things like romance and true love at first sight.

Given the fact that Lily didn't believe in love at first sight at all, this notion was truly ridiculous. She had _hated_ James Potter for years before she had loved him and more than anything else, Lily was convinced that love was a choice more than it was a feeling.

Infatuation and lust were only a few things that happened in the beginning stages of love. But after a while those things went away and then what were you left with?

Divorce wasn't something that was unheard of in Westeros and out of all the things that Lily disliked about this world, that wasn't one of them.

In a way, divorce was an easy way out. Loving someone was hard and continuing to choose to love that person day in and day out when you made a promise to do so wasn't easy. Sometimes it took a herculean effort.

Lily understood this because she had made a choice to keep on loving Petunia even after her sister was consumed by bitterness and didn't want to talk to her anymore.

It would be far easier to shut that door emotionally and keep it closed, but Lily still wrote letters to her sister up until the day she had died and asked friends to pass them along so that they would arrive to her.

Lily would never know if she had read them, but she hoped that if she did Petunia would know that the door had been open up until the day she died and that Lily had continued loving her despite all they had gone through.

Just thinking about Petunia made the red head emotional and she would scrub furiously at her eyes to blot out the tears.

During those times it was often best to throw herself completely into whatever she was doing, whether that was play with Ed, talking with her uncle or simply going for walks about Riverrun.

Often times she would sit in the godswood and simply absorb the silence.

It was there in which her Uncle Brynden found her around a moon into his stay in the river lands.

"There you are."

The red head looked up from her clasped hands to find the deep blue eyes of her uncle staring at her. He was dressed in a casual blue doublet and trousers with a black pin of the Tully trout clasped to the breast pocket. His hands were folded behind his back and there was a slight smile on his face that made the lines around his eyes crinkle.

"I'm sorry Uncle, were you looking for me?" Lily asked as she unfolded her hands from atop her knees.

"I was," the older man replied. "I was going to ask if you wanted to get a little more practice in, but now I find myself wondering what you are doing in the godswood."

Lily pursed her lips and searched for how to answer. While she didn't care one whit for the religions of this new world, she appreciated the silence and tranquility and the non-fussiness of the faith of the north.

Those who worshipped the Old Gods were quiet about their faith and their beliefs, they didn't force them on anyone and they didn't act as if their faith was the only way to attain some sort of eternal afterlife.

Lily wasn't sure if there even _was_ an afterlife in the religion of the Seven. She had heard the seven hells mentioned a lot but in terms of eternal rest, no one knew.

She probably had a better idea that most what to expect when it came to an afterlife because in a way Westeros _was_ her afterlife.

All these philosophical questions Lily tried not to contemplate because they made her head hurt.

It was just better to assume that this was her second life and leave it at that.

"It's peaceful here," she said finally. "There aren't any ruddy great enormous statues leering down at me like there are in the sept. I don't know how mother likes to pray in there all the time. Their eyes are…"

She trailed off and shuddered. "It's like they're judging me for everything I've ever done. Here among the trees and nature….well even though they have faces I don't feel uncomfortable sitting here. Sometimes I even talk."

Brynden was quiet for a moment before he exhaled and slowly sat down on the bench next to her. "Your mother prays in the sept as often as she can because that's how she has been raised. And she wants her children to have the same faith she does."

Lily barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "No offense Uncle Brynden but mother thinks that praying all the time will make someone into a more devout person and thus more of a lady. And I don't want to be a lady. I understand family is important but if they are so important they will not force you to do something that you fundamentally don't believe in doing."

Her uncle was silent for a long moment. He appeared both amused and thoughtful.

"Then let me put this question to you," Brynden said. He seemed the most laid back about Lily's hyper intelligence. He didn't question it or wonder about it, he accepted it and that was that. It was why he was so easy to talk to all the time because he didn't judge anyone.

"Suppose you were asked to do something by your entire family that you weren't sure would be to your happiness but you also knew it was the right thing to do because if you didn't do it something terrible might happen. Would you do it?"

Lily paused for a moment and thought briefly about her old life. Sacrifice was something she knew about whole heartedly. She hadn't wanted to die but if giving up her life meant that Harry could live well it wasn't something she had thought twice about.

"It depends," she replied. "If it meant someone was going to get hurt if I refused or if it meant something or someone evil was going to do something that I could stop….well then it would be a sacrifice…but I would do it."

Brynden nodded. "Good. I'd like you to keep that in mind as you get older because as you age more and more choices are going to come at you that might make you uncomfortable, they might put you in tight circumstances with your family or with places around you. Sometimes doing what is right is what will make you happy and sometimes it isn't. And then there are times when doing what is right _will_ make you happy not now….but later."

His voice had taken on an almost nostalgic hue as he spoke and Lily frowned to herself, knowing something was going on that she didn't fully understand. It almost seemed as if Brynden was speaking from experience.

She opened her mouth to ask questions but in second the moment passed and Brynden was back to his jovial self.

Just then Lily became aware of her name being called. She glanced up in time to see Trina one of the maids step through the trees. She bowed when she saw Brynden Tully and then turned to Lily. "Forgive me my lady, but Lady Minisa has been looking for you. She says it's time for your lessons."

Lily groaned and Brynden laughed before thanking the maid and dismissing her.

Her uncle chuckled. "Come on then. We have lingered for too long in these trees. People are beginning to wonder where we are."

Lily rolled her eyes. "And by people other than mother I assume you mean Baelish?"

Her uncle raised an eyebrow. "He's not as bad as all that is he?"

Lily snorted. "He asks far too many questions, he stares at me and Cat all the time and he acts like a know it all. I don't even know why he's here."

"He's here because he and your father became friends during the war of the Targaryen pretenders and he hopes that his son will learn something that he cannot be taught in the Fingers of the Vale."

"Like how to not be creepy?" Lily muttered under her breath.

Brynden coughed but it sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "You may just find that you might like Petyr. He's just a little…rough around the edges that's all."

Lily grimaced, suddenly remembering someone else she knew that was rough around the edges who had become a good friend of hers. He was hard to get to know at first but he had proven to be a very loyal friend. Up until the point where he had….well never mind.

There had been a darkness in Severus that her friendship couldn't fix.

But maybe that wasn't true with Petyr. Maybe she did need to make more of an effort. She had been burned by her friendship with Sev….but that didn't have to be the same in this life did it?

"Alright Uncle Brynden," she said with a sigh. "I'll try."

"Good girl," he said getting to his feet. "Now come on. It's time we see what your brother's up to."

Ω

 **I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter guys but I'm getting ready for exams and between studying and homework there just hasn't been time to write more. It's my last year of university and top grades are a priority. I promise the next chapter will be more interesting. However in this chapter, Baelish has arrived and he plot will be discussed more fully in the next chapter. In the beginning, Lily and Petyr are going to be friends and then later on when things begin to happen well then they will begin to pull apart from each other. You might be shocked at the mention of Brynden's wife as well. I know that he is portrayed as being quite asexual in the books and the show but I thought it would be interesting for him to have rejected his brother's marriage for him because he was already in love with someone else. That storyline will come into play further on. Also in the next chapter, we will be going to a time jump of about two to three years and that's where the real meat of the story will begin. I hope you liked the chapter, don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Two Years Later….._

"I'm telling you that you shouldn't discount myths unless you know for a fact that they aren't true," Lily argued. "Absent does not mean non-existent."

"And I'm telling you that its irrelevant whether or not they existed," Petyr argued back. "Whether or not the War for the Dawn occurred doesn't matter. It's supposed events were thousands of years ago and have no bearing on the events of today."

"Then how did the Wall come to be constructed?" the red head shot back. "A structure that size is impossible to be created by human means unless there was some sort of magical building technique and it was obviously built to keep something out. Why not the Others?"

"The Others are a northern myth," Petyr scoffed. "The only examples we have of them are legends and vague stories that don't reveal details or places or names. There's no concrete evidence that they existed."

"Tell that to the Starks," Lily muttered in response. "That Wall was built for a reason and it is the biggest example the realm has that something long go tried to come south and it had be beaten back and barricaded. You can't deny that. The Starks can't anyway."

"Seven hells all you two do is argue about books and history and politics," Ed exclaimed, "you never want to go out and do anything fun!"

"You might benefit from learning about those sorts of things Ed," Lily scolded her younger brother. "You're going to be the Lord of Riverrun someday."

"But history is boring," the eight year old complained. "Who cares what happened thousands of years ago?"

"My sentiments exactly," Petyr said sending Lily a smug smile to which she responded by sticking out her tongue.

"Lily, a lady doesn't stick her tongue out at people," Cat said imperiously from her seat further down the table.

The younger red head rolled her eyes. "According to you a lady doesn't do anything. All she does is sit there and sew all day long. Why on earth you want to be one is beyond me. If you keep this up you're never going to be able to remove the stick from up your arse."

Catelyn gasped her hand flying to her mouth as if Lily had just said the most scandalous thing and Ed's face turned purple in an attempt to keep his laughter in.

Lysa clapped a hand over mouth to keep her giggles in but one escaped anyway. Even Petyr glanced down at the table with a tiny smile on his face.

Cat's eyes narrowed at her smug younger sister, mouth hardening into a grim line. "I'm telling Mother what you said."

Instead of cowering in fear Lily simply raised an eyebrow and leaned forward with one elbow on the table. "No you won't, because she's bedridden on orders from Maester Vyman to avoid stress. And this is the sort of thing that might cause her stress. And we all know that you won't want to do that now would you Cat?"

The older red head stared at her for a moment, mouth opening and closing like the trout that was emblazoned on their banner. The only sound that came out of her mouth was a squeak as if she couldn't believe her younger sister would stoop so low as to very nearly blackmail her into silence.

Finally, the only response she could give was a huff before settling back into her chair and opening her book and stacking it on the table in front of her so it blocked everyone else from view.

All Lily did was chuckle before glancing back down at the open book in front of her.

The four Tully children and Hoster's ward Petyr were sitting in the library of Riverrun taking their lessons with maester Vyman who was at this moment consulting with a servant who had come in with a note.

They had been in the midst of their midday lessons on history courtesy of the maester of Riverrun with books scattered about the table all around them along with quills, pieces of parchment and ink pots. Dull afternoon light was coming in from one of the High windows in the library and lighting the shelves in a warm brown glow.

The smell of parchment and still drying ink was thick on the air and the nostalgia that this brought back for Lily of sitting in the library at Hogwarts with her friends and studying was so acute that she had had to rub her eyes a few times to rid them of the threatening tears.

They were keeping their voices low as Vyman had a glare that could melt steel but his absence had encouraged them to look up from their books and speak loosely on the lesson in hushed whispers.

It was one of Lily's favorite times of the day, other than sparring with the master at arms in the courtyard. Desmond Grell had taken over for her Uncle Brynden when he had left Riverrun and though Lily privately thought he wasn't as good as her uncle, he would do for the present.

Brynden's reasons for leaving had been business that needed conducting, but Lily knew for a fact that he could never stay in one place for too long. Sometimes her heart ached from the absence of her favorite uncle, the man who understood her better than her own father. He had drilled her mercilessly in the art of the sword and privately instructed Grell to keep on training her even after he had gone as he had said she had an enormous amount of potential.

He had promised his nieces and nephew that he would return soon and then had thundered out of the courtyard of Riverrun without a backward glance.

That had been about a year ago. He had been gone for short absences in between but this was the first time he had been gone in a long while and all of the Tully children were feeling his absence, including Petyr.

To Lily's surprise, once she had decided to try and get along with him, she had discovered they had a lot in common intellectually. In many ways he did remind her of Severus. They were both somewhat socially awkward, possessed an alarming amount of arrogance and were very intelligent. They had even come from the same sort of economic background.

While Petyr's father was a lord, he owned a marginal crop of land in the littlest of the Fingers of the Vale, a title that Ed had turned into the nickname Little Finger for their father's ward. Petyr was also rather short and slight and so earned the moniker for his physical stature as well.

Lord Baelish was a minor part of the nobility and thus didn't have a lot of wealth to his name so it was surprising that he was able to send his son to foster at the keep of the Lord Paramount of the Trident.

Though he didn't seem to be abusive like Tobias Snape when Lily had seen him for the first time at Riverrun, there was a coolness that he projected towards his son which was plainly evident on both of their faces.

It was scary how much Petyr and Severus were alike and every time there was a particular sort of Severus type personality trait that would come out in him, Lily would feel apprehension roil in her stomach like sour milk.

It seemed Petyr also kept an eye on her and Cat which had manifested more and more in the last two years.

It was as if he couldn't decide which he liked better. Lily knew she and Cat were polar opposites, Cat was the prim and proper lady who would make any man an excellent wife one day. Lily was the fiery magical warrior, not that anyone knew it who had no plans to be some man's bed warmer for the rest of her life.

She certainly hoped what he was going through wouldn't last long and they could all get one with being friends before the annoyances of hormones and adolescent issues came along.

Merlin she would have to go through that all over again.

Growing taller, widening hips, larger breasts, menstruation, dear god she had forgotten how nice it could be to be a kid again.

 _Enjoy it while you can Lily,_ she thought to herself grimly as she looked around the table at the four other children sitting there. _In about approximately two years its going to start all over again. Merlin help me._

She wondered what Petyr would be like when they all hit puberty and began to grow up. Cat had the makings of a beautiful woman already and Brynden had commented to Lily that he had a feeling she was going to need to learn how to become a better swordsman than all of the men in Riverrun and perhaps the south in order to keep the men away.

Would this….fixation on the two of them continue, or would it fizzle out with time and familiarity?

And the worst part of it all was that Cat seemed to be completely unaware of it. Though Lily was glad of it for the most part, it also meant a potentially awkward conversation further down the line.

 _Merlin, was I that oblivious to Sev's intentions?_ The red head thought to herself. _If I hadn't been so bloody naïve I would have nipped it in the bud right away. I didn't feel the same way but if I had realized it and told him early on…maybe there wouldn't have been so much heartbreak._

And so Lily resolved to speak to her sister about this as soon as possible. She had had a sinking suspicion that things were headed in this direction when Petyr's eyes would swivel back and forth between her and Cat a bit longer than necessary.

Petyr and Lily were ten at the moment and so this was a bit young for a crush but Lily wasn't going to put any age limits on feelings. Cat was thirteen and already so much like Minisa when it came to them that it was frightening.

What was even more alarming was that Hoster was already looking into marriage alliances for her.

He had had his eye set on the north for the last little while as the heir to Winterfell was only two years older than Cat and would soon be of marriageable age also.

The whole thing made Lily feel ill. Soon enough Lysa would be married off and then the time would come for her to be given to someone.

Lily shuddered and then forced the thought aside.

"So, have you discovered the answer to the question as yet?"

Vyman's voice had come from somewhere nearby causing all five of them to jump in surprise.

They all looked up into the face of the aging maester who somehow had managed to move as silently as a cat. The servant he had been speaking to had disappeared back out into the hall.

"Um, what was the question again?" Ed asked with a guilty look on his face. He had been too busy pretending that his quill was a sword and stabbing Petyr with it who had a long suffering expression on his face when he looked at the heir to Riverrun.

Vyman raised an eyebrow. "Attention is key when you are in a position of power Lord Edmure, Your lord father uses attention with remarkable discretion when writing letter to his bannermen, and it is due to this attention that he can focus on the most important concerns facing the Riverlands. Where you choose to focus your attention determines what is important to you. Remember that."

Lily looked up at the aging maester with a newfound respect. He really was one of her favorite people in this keep. He was wise about many things, very intelligent and remarkably nimble and agile despite the years he was attaining. He was a fount of good advice and the interest he had taken in Lily with regards to her higher education was something she would always be grateful for.

Vyman let the silence hang for a moment before clapping his hands together. "Right then, we may return to our topic. The question I asked you to consider was to the matter of what caused the extinction of the dragons."

Lily narrowed her eyes as she glanced down at her text. With Vyman there was always more than one answer. There was the one that was obvious and right in front of your face and there was the hidden and deeper answer that tied into the first one but also unveiled other truth that one hadn't considered.

"The majority of the dragons were killed during the Dance," Petyr began. "And after it was over the dragons that did hatch became smaller and smaller until they were about the size of cats."

"Could it possibly have something to do with the Dragon Pit in King's Landing?" Lysa asked suddenly. "They were caged there and not allowed to fly over the city. Could the lack of space have made them smaller and caused them to die out?"

Lily threw her sister an approving look. Every so often Lysa would display a moment of clarity that would make the other red head think that possibly her sister wouldn't turn into some sort of flighty maiden obsessed with dreams of love and romance.

It seemed Vyman had a similar idea because he smiled at her. "An excellent point Lady Lysa. It may well have been the pit and the lack of space that stunted the growth of the dragons and made them more susceptible to extinction. But that wasn't all of it, does anyone have any other ideas?"

"Dragons were creatures of magic," Lily said an idea suddenly coming to her. "I remember reading something where they were called fire made flesh and they had a deep seated connection to magic. We don't know how the Valyrians trained dragons. Could there possibly be a magical connection and if so could the deaths of many of the Targaryens have broken a magical connection thus making the dragons more susceptible to extinction?"

"And here we go again with the magic," Petyr scoffed. "Lily, there is no such thing as magic."

"So says your limited thinking," Lily shot back.

Petyr's eyes narrowed but Vyman broke in before another argument manifested. "They could Lady Lilian, a long time ago there was the possibility for such a connection but no one knows why or when the ability to practice it disappeared."

"Could it be because magic somehow left the world?" Lily persisted. "If dragons were creatures of magic and magic is somehow gone and they were dependent upon it, it would follow that a lack of magic in the world cased the dragons to go extinct."

"That's absurd," Petyr snorted and Lily threw a glare at him. "Well why don't you explain it if you're so smart?"

Petyr snorted. "It's obvious that Lysa's explanation is the best," he said. "After the Dance, there were fewer dragons to repopulate the species and as time went on less and less dragons were born thus causing the decline and eventual extinction."

"And how do you explain the size of the dragons that were born?" Lily demanded. "The history books say that the ones born after the Dance were the size of cats. Is there any brilliant deduction you have on why _that_ happened?"

Petyr shrugged. "An illness perhaps?"

"Right, next you're going to say that – "

"I didn't mean to cause an argument," Vyman interrupted holding up his hands. "The truth is that no one knows. Both of your theories may be correct and both of them may be incorrect due to some information that may have been lost over a century ago. Perhaps time will give us the answers that we seek and perhaps not. The important thing is to continue asking questions."

He looked like he was about to go on when all of a sudden there was the sound of footsteps outside the library door and all six of them looked up.

To Lily's surprise, her mother stepped through the door into the cool quiet.

 _She's not supposed to be out of bed,_ Lily thought looking at the older woman in concern. _I hope nothing's wrong._

Ever since it was discovered a few months ago that Minisa Tully was expecting again, maester Vyman had decided to keep her on bed rest as much as possible as she had been very ill at the start of her pregnancy.

Lily was ecstatic when she learned that she would have another sibling. She secretly hoped that it would be another boy as she already had enough sisters and she needed another brother to balance it out.

She had never had this many siblings before much less a brother and the idea of having a big family had always appealed to her. Even though she wasn't a mother anymore, Lily had always dreamed of having lots of children.

Harry had been her first, but she had had no plans to stop after him. She planned to be a career wife and mother and wanted a lot of children to fill her and James's home with laughter. James had been an only child and so he had wanted a lot of children as well.

Harry would have been the eldest there would have been boys and girls after him. Lily had even secretly thought up names for the rest as she had watched Harry sleeping in his crib.

It would have been expensive James had told her but then he had followed it up by laughing and saying that he had inherited a lot of money from his parents being the only child and they would have been able to afford it.

Lily grimaced and shook off thoughts of James and Harry. It was gone….they were gone…that life was over.

It had been ten years since she had last seen them and there were times when they felt like a distant memory to her and then there were times where it would seem like she had seen them just yesterday and the wound would tear again.

 _Maybe I'm developing a bipolar disorder,_ the red head thought to herself miserably. _One minute I think the wounds have healed and then the next I want to cry all over again._

She sighed and ran a hand through her long red curls. _I just need to practice saying goodbye to them and then forgetting. It's the only way I'm going to stay sane._

"Are you well my lady?" Vyman asked breaking into Lily's thoughts. His words were directed at her mother who was standing in the doorway with one hand atop her stomach and the other resting against the doorframe for balance.

The older woman smiled but she looked pale. "Yes Vyman, there was just something I wanted to ask you. I had forgotten you were in the middle of the children's lessons."

"We were just wrapping up," the maester assured her. "You are not interrupting."

He turned to the rest of the Tully children and Petyr. "Remember what I said. Questions are what shape the world and history allows us to search for them. Whether the answers are of magical or non-magical origin the truth is what is the most important. You are dismissed. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

There was a flurry of activity as sheets of parchment were shoved into books and quills were set down while ink pots were stoppered.

Vyman stepped away from the table to speak with Minisa and Ed led the charge out of the room. Lily could practically see his mind darting to his riding lessons of which he was still trying to master.

It seemed as if the horses in the stables of Riverrun didn't like him and made their discontent at his presence known by skittering away from him when he came close.

It was beginning to become embarrassing for Ed and was rather amusing for the rest of the Tully children, even Catelyn who would often hide her smile when her brother would fail to mount his horse for the thirtieth time.

But this time, Lily decided she would hold off on laughing good-naturedly at her brother and hid behind the stacks of books near the door of the library so she could over hear what her mother and Vyman were going to talk about.

It was insufferably nosey, but when it came to family, Lily had a feeling it would be alright. The rest of her siblings were of the mind that their parents were invincible and that nothing could ever harm them…but she knew better.

After all, hadn't she been a parent when she had been killed?

Lily knew better than most that life was fragile and the way her mother was carrying this baby was far different than how she had carried Ed.

With Ed she had been tired a lot, but she hadn't been sick to this degree. Come to think of it, Minisa had been sick a lot even before she would have found out she was pregnant.

Lily knew that each pregnancy was different but at the same time, this increasing dialogue with the maester was beginning to make her uneasy.

 _I wonder if there is some sort of potion I could brew for her to make her more comfortable,_ the red head mused to herself as she watched the two of them from behind the stack of books. _I might not have all the magical ingredients I would need to make a true calming draught or something like that but it would be better than nothing. I just don't want to harm the baby._

"How are you feeling this day Lady Minisa?" the maester asked.

The lady of Riverrun blew out a breath of air. "Tired Vyman, very tired. It seems all I am is tired these days. Gods I didn't think getting old would be this hard."

"My lady you are as young as the day when you married Lord Hoster," Vyman replied gallantly and Lily smirked, _smooth Vyman, very smooth._

Minisa laughed. "You are too kind Vyman. I don't feel young. This is my fifth child and already I am beginning to feel like a well-worn rag that has been wrung dry too many times."

"Which is worse?" the aging maester asked. "The nausea or the fatigue?"

Minisa sighed. "Some days it's the nausea and some days it is the fatigue and some days its hard to tell the difference. I'm only halfway through his pregnancy and already I want nothing more than for it to be over."

"You appear tired my lady," Vyman said assessing her critically. "Your pallor is slightly grey and you seem fatigued if the way your hands are trembling is any indication."

Lily peered slowly out from behind the stack of books in concern.

Minisa frowned and glanced down at her right hand before placing it atop the table and resting the other atop her stomach. "That's not fatigue Vyman, I am just feeling cold is all."

Lily's frown deepened and she muttered a warming charm and cast it upon her mother a second later.

Minisa's eyes narrowed. "How odd, suddenly I feel a good deal warmer. This castle is always damp because of the water that surrounds it and I always feel more warm then cold….but suddenly I feel comfortable."

"Well good," Vyman replied. "Now may I escort you back to your chambers my lady? You really should be resting."

"Oh very well Vyman, I swear sometimes you are worse than Hoster when it comes to my health."

"Well I am a maester my lady. If I didn't worry about health I wouldn't be worthy of the title."

Minisa's chuckles followed the two out of the library and Lily remained in hiding for a moment longer before she let out a breath and leaded back against the bookshelf before closing her eyes.

 _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

Ω

"What's your home like?" Lily asked.

It was late afternoon one day and she had suggested that she and her siblings go on for a ride beside the river not far from Riverrun.

Catelyn had turned her down as well as Lysa who had opted to spend time with their pregnant mother in her solar.

Only Ed had agreed to go with her as well as Petyr which was surprising. He knew how to ride a horse but Lily would have thought he would want to stay in the library with his books.

Getting Petyr out into the open air was like trying to get a bat to go out into the sunlight. He loved his books too much sometimes.

Lily was a voracious reader too but she understood the necessity of balance in her life otherwise how else were you to develop a more well-rounded perspective?

So the three of them had rode out of the gates of Riverrun with a few guards following after Lily had asked maester Vyman to inform their father they were going for a ride by the water's edge.

It was a beautiful afternoon with sunlight shining through the green leaves of the trees onto the ground below and the distant roar of the ford just off to their right. The riverbanks on the edge of both sides of the river. The sky was a deep blue color and there were pearl white fluffy clouds lining the edges of the trees.

Every so often a bird would call to another one on one side of the river and a moment later a second bird would answer.  
Water was tricking over the roots and stones and shrubs of the river in a never ending symphony of nature's power and Lily loved every moment of it.

When the social stresses inside Riverrun became too much, she would always retreat to nature to take in the fact that life in Westeros was bigger than what happened to her and it always would be.

Despite what happened to her, nature would always carry on in a never ending rhythm and somehow that was comforting.

Once they had gotten down by the water, Ed had gone forward to have a closer look at something he had seen and Lily and Petyr had seated themselves on rocks further back on the bank with some of the guards tending to the horses.

A gentle breeze was blowing lifting Lily's long red curls off her shoulders and she unconsciously closed her eyes taking a deep breath of the cool air.

The two were quiet for a long time before Lily had ventured the question, forcing Petyr to adopt a thoughtful expression.

"The Fingers….well….they're very sparse on grass and vegetation. Only the smartest farmers can grow crops there," he said, the look in his grey green eyes one of musing and memory.

"I take it you don't want to farm?" she asked and he gave her his characteristic half smile. "Would you want to?"

Lily tapped her chin as if she were thinking about it. "Not particularly but then farming's not for everyone. I'm not going to be a lord one day either.

Petyr laughed but it sounded more like a scoff. "I won't really be a lord of anything. My father's a sworn bannerman to Lord Arryn and I'll serve him for the rest of my life. I don't have any soldiers and only a few servants to my name who I'll have serving me after my father dies and because I am his only heir, I have to assume command of his role."

His lower lip had curled almost into a sneer and he sounded uncharacteristically bitter. The boy that Lily had known was quiet, somewhat sarcastic and very logical.

But this boy sounded angry about the situation life had put him in and longed for it to be different.

She couldn't say she blamed him.

Her being here in Westeros was hardly ideal given the fact that she should have died and reincarnation was just one of Death's cruel jokes.

She was still a little bitter about that too.

"You don't want to be a lord?" she asked in an attempt to get her mind off her own dark thoughts?"

"It's not so much that I don't want to be a lord," he said. "But I want a better land to be lord of. You don't get to do anything when you're the lord of the smallest of the Fingers. No one notices you and you're constantly be overlooked."

A chill swept over Lily then as it sounded eerily similar to something Severus had said to her. He had hated how Slytherin house was constantly overlooked in favor of the Gryffindors and he wanted to do something that would gain the attention of the rest of the school and show them that Slytherin house was just as good as Gryffindor.

And look where that had gotten him.

She shuddered and hunched further inside her blue fur lined cloak even though it wasn't that cold out. _Get a grip Lily. There aren't any dark lords here for Petyr to join and he doesn't have magic._

 _Maybe not but there are still other ways he can get himself into trouble with an attitude like that._

The red head once more shook off the dark thoughts and turned back to her friend. Petyr wasn't Severus and there wasn't a James or Sirius around here to bully or harass him. Hopefully his bitterness about his position in life wouldn't last and he would learn to be content as time went on.

Hopefully.

"You won't be overlooked by Riverrun Petyr," she said in an effort to encourage him. "And you're friends with my brother and he's going to be the Lord of Riverrun someday. You know what happened with your father and my father. Such connections shouldn't be overlooked."

Petyr picked up a stone and flicked it towards the river's edge as if he were trying to learn how to skip it. "Maybe you're right."  
It was all he would admit right now but Lily could accept that she was alright with that.

They lapsed into silence again and Petyr picked up another stone and flicked towards the river bank. It just barely made the water and landed in the shallows.

Lily frowned. "What are you doing?"

Petyr's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to skip a stone."

Lily snorted in an attempt to keep her laughter in. "Petyr that's not how you skip a stone. Your wrist is all wrong."

He turned to her, both eyebrows raised. "Well how would you skip a stone then?"

Lily held out her hand. "Give me the stone and I'll show you."

He reluctantly placed the stone in her palm and Lily got to her feet somewhat imperiously. "The first thing you have to do is get closer to the river. You can't skip a good stone from thirty bloody feet from the bank."

"Since when did you become such an expert in the subject?" Petyr asked her with a slight smile.

Lily looked at him like he had grown three heads. "You just don't live beside a river for your entire life without learning how to skip a few stones. Now watch closely."

She and Petunia had done this many times before Severus had come along and their relationship had changed forever.

Lily gripped the flat stone between her fingers. "Now you need three things in order to properly skip a stone. Speed, spin and angle. Now you need to place your index finger against the edge of the rock, like so."

She demonstrated the proper gesture and Petyr bent down before retrieving another flat stone from the bank. "Like this?"

Lily examined his choice before nodding in approval. "Exactly like that. Very good."

Once his form was complete she went back to her instruction. "Now face the water side ways with your feet shoulder width apart like this."

Petyr frowned a bit but otherwise turned on the side of the river bank to mirror her position. "Like this?"

"Good," Lily said. "Now bend your wrist all the way back and snap it forward to flick the rock against the surface of the water."

As soon as she had given the instruction, Lily flicked the stone forward and watched as it sailed out over the surface of the water before bouncing three times across the surface and then sinking beneath the waves.

Petyr watched for a moment before trying it. He let out a muffled curse when the stone hit the water and sank immediately with a wet plunk.

"You can try bending your legs as well," Lily suggested. "And make sure to follow through. You get more momentum that way. Watch again."

She searched another few seconds for a stone before picking up an ideal one and going through the same motion all over again.

Petyr watched her again, a frown of concentration coming over his face as he picked up another stone and once more mirrored her stance.

This time his flicking motion when he released the stone was much quicker and this time the stone hit the surface of the water once and then sunk on the next skip.

"Good," Lily said with an approving smile. "The trick is to keep practicing. I've had a two or so years of practice and I do it almost every day so you do it that much, you should probably be as good as I am."

"How many skips can you do?" Petyr asked curiously.

"I've gotten up to nine," Lily said. "But maybe today I can get it to ten."

"What are you two doing?" asked a familiar voice and Lily looked to her left to see Ed hurrying up the bank toward them.

He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and the edges of them were wet as if he had been up to his elbows in the water.

"Mother's not going to like the fact that you went wading Ed," Lily warned her brother.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh for the love of the gods Lily, not you too. You're as bad as Cat sometimes."

Lily's eyes widened. "I am not!"

"Yes you are," Petyr piped up as he bent to pick up another stone. "The only difference is Cat is like that with everyone, you're only like that with Ed."

"See?" Edmure said smugly. "Even Petyr believes me."

"So?" Lily demanded. "Petyr's only one person. When you get everyone in Riverrun to agree with you, then we'll talk."

Ed rolled his eyes and then saw what they were doing. "Are you skipping stones?"

"No, we're shoeing a horse," Lily said sarcastically. "Of course we're skipping stones!"

Ed smirked at her. "I bet I can beat your score this time."

Lily stuck her tongue out at him. "You wish."

For the next hour or so, the three of them remained on the bank flicking their wrists back and forth until they were sore and sometimes laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

And for that moment, Lily forgot all about the past and her dark memories and her still ever present sorrow.

She forgot it all because right then it wasn't important.

This was.

What she didn't notice however was the sideways looks Petyr would sometimes shoot her and the look of curious confliction on his face.

Before long she would though.

Ω

 _Several months later…._

Second life or not, Lily was having a hard time not pacing.

Her mother had gone into labour not long ago and the servant had come to collect her and her siblings from their various activities almost an hour ago. They were currently sitting in chairs in their father's solar just down the hall from their mother's chambers.

Petyr wasn't with them as only family had been called but Lily had a feeling that he was around reading some sort of book and scheming as he usually did.

This past few years with him had taught Lily that he was a planner, someone who always had another card up his sleeve and always knew what to do.

That sort of constant clinical method was something that would bear watching for the future.

There were times when Lily liked to hang around Petyr and then there were others in which he said or did something that would make her uncomfortable.

A few weeks ago for example she had just come down the hallway to go to the library and had turned the corner in time to see Petyr standing awfully close to Cat.

 _Their faces were very near to each other and there was a sort of glazed look in the boy's eyes that made Lily wonder if something might have happened had she not come along._

 _The red head cleared her throat loudly causing both of them to jump and raised an eyebrow when they turned to look her way._

 _"_ _What is it Lily?" Cat asked, her face was flushed as she glanced down at the ground. She looked more embarrassed than anything else and Lily hoped deep down that she and Petyr hadn't been about to kiss._

 _He knew better than that, surely.  
_

 _Not only was he three years younger than her, but it would also be highly inappropriate here and now._

 _"_ _Mother was looking for you," the younger girl said in a short tone. "She said she had something she wanted to show you."_

 _Cat brushed the loose strands of auburn hair away from her face. "I'm coming."_

 _Then without looking at Petyr or Lily she hurried off down the corridor, lifting her skirts almost running as if she were trying her utmost to get away from the both of them without appearing unladylike._

 _Too late, Lily thought with a grim sobriety._

 _She wasn't certain whether or not her sister had been intending to kiss Petyr before she had come along or if the boy had just invaded her personal space and she had been too shocked to back away._

 _But one thing was for certain….whatever had been about to happen could not happen again._

 _Cat's sights were set on marrying a handsome and powerful lord, two things that Petyr Baelish most certainly was not._

 _She didn't want her sister to lead him on and she most certainly didn't want to see Petyr hurt. But if the boy had invaded her sister's personal space without her permission….well than that was something they were going to need to talk about._

 _She turned back to the boy who was watching the spot where Catelyn had been with a strange expression on his face.  
_

 _To her, it almost looked like longing._

 _"_ _Petyr?" she called out before he could turn away and he looked back at her, his face going blank._

 _Something Lily had learned about the boy in the last few years he had been with them was his unhealthy fixation on her older sister._

 _There were times when he looked at Lily a little too long too which made the younger red head wonder whether or not Petyr was beginning to like the both of them for different reasons and wasn't certain which he liked better._

 _And one thing was for certain, Lily didn't want to be on the receiving end of his attentions.  
_

 _She remembered what had happened the last time she had been liked by someone and she didn't want a repeat._

 _It would be far better for the five of them to simply be friends without the nonsense of romance involved._

I need to talk to Cat.

 _For the moment however, Lily strode towards Petyr, grim purpose on her mind._

 _"_ _Yes Lily?" he asked looking at her carefully as she came to a stop in front of him._

 _The red head narrowed her eyes as she looked him over. Something she had ironically learned from Death himself, or the Stranger as he was called here was that life was driven by desire. Her chief desire had been to get back to Harry and James and his had been to prevent her from doing that and send her to this life._

 _He had gotten what he wanted and she hadn't._

 _And it had taught Lily to look at the desires of people as there were often more than one. Sev had been driven by his love for her as had James. Voldemort had been driven by his desire for power and to cleanse the magical society of muggleborn magicals like her._

 _Everyone had been driven by desire._

 _It was how life worked._

 _And it seemed that Petyr's chief desire had been to steal a kiss from her older sister before Lily had come along and foiled it._

 _"_ _I want you to be very….very careful," she said. "I think you know what I'm talking about. This isn't a warning or a threat. This is me as a friend telling you that you need to watch yourself. Catelyn…is not part of a revelation of whatever fantasy to you want to be true. You need to live in the real world Petyr. You have to. If you don't it will hurt you. And I know you don't want that. So please….please be wise._

 _His eyes widened as she said the words and they fell from Lily's mouth like they were bars of lead._

 _She didn't want to hurt him, she really didn't especially after she felt they had reached a turning point after all the fun they had at the river not long ago. But Petyr had to know that he was setting himself up for heartbreak if he continued on the path he was going.  
_

 _And then she had turned and walked away, not even looking to see if he was watching her._

They hadn't spoken much after that and it had bothered Lily because she liked Petyr a lot, but the Petyr who argued with her, who she would talk to and he would always tell her the truth.

She didn't like the Petyr who would get close to her sisters and then try and do strange things.

 _Please…please…..please…..please, don't let him follow Sev._

She didn't even know who she was praying too or if she was praying at all.

But then Lily and the rest of her siblings were called in to meet their new baby brother whom Minisa had proudly named Axel.

 _Great,_ Lily thought to herself as she gazed down at the auburn haired blue eyed baby. _Now I'm going to have two brothers to keep an eye on. This is going to be complicated._

But even that was nothing compared to what was going to happen in the next few years.

Ω

 **So I know the introduction of a fifth Tully child is unexpected, but I am anything if unpredictable sometimes. I wanted to give Lily another brother who is going to play a unique role as the story goes along. There's going to be another time jump in the next chapter so stay tuned for that and Brynden Tully will be making another appearance. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy New Year Everybody! I apologize that I haven't updated any of my stories in over a month but with vacation, the holidays my job and exams dogging my heals, all I've had time to do was eat, sleep, shop and study and work. Anyway, I'm back now and hopefully will be updating more consistently *fingers crossed.* Also you'll find that I've changed the youngest Tully's name from Edmond to Axel. After some thinking about it, I found I didn't like it and I wanted to choose the name of a Tully ancestor. So Axel was the one I landed on. Hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**

Chapter 6

 _I've seen many babies before….but I think Axel is one of the cutest._

Currently, Lily was standing in the nursery looking down at the sleeping face of her newest baby brother.

He was only a week or so old but already the pinkness in his skin was beginning to go away and the small tufts of auburn hair could be seen atop his head. His eyes were a deep blue just like all of the rest of his siblings and Lily wondered if she was the only one of all the Tully children to inherit green eyes.

In a way, she was a bit relieved as they were a last reminder of her old life. And no one questioned them because members of Minisa's own family had green eyes so people saw it as a latent quality.

So she was glad that her new little brother had some remnants of her, perhaps it was something that would make them closer as they got older.

"He's red," Petyr said.

Lily coughed and nearly rolled her eyes. "Most babies are red Petyr. That doesn't really go away until sometimes a few weeks after they're born. Axel being red is perfectly normal for a baby of his age."

The two of them had been keeping an eye on the baby. After their lessons had been completed Catelyn had disappeared no doubt to speak to their father about something. At thirteen years of age soon to be fourteen, she thought of herself as very important already and as the eldest daughter of House Tully, there was a subtle arrogance about her that Lily didn't like.

Perhaps she was with Minisa in the sept. Her mother had been spending a lot of time there lately since Axel had been born.

Lily knew her mother thought she had a lot to be thankful for. Producing three daughters and then only one heir was enough cause to make a woman in this world nervous.

And then she had gone nearly eight years without having a child until finally she had produced another son.

Minisa was a highly religious woman and she had spent the past several weeks on her knees thanking the Mother for her mercy in giving her another boy.

 _Merlin, did she do the same thing when I was born?_ Lily asked with a touch of irony. _Did she do the same thing when Lysa or Cat were born? I'm certain that she did what she is doing now when Edmure was born. What is it about having sons that warrants so much time in prayer as opposed to girls? Do the people in this world really view females as worthless?_

Her father now had five children, three daughters and two sons and Lily had a feeling that he was rubbing his hands back and forth imagining all of the marriage alliances he was going to arrange for his daughters and sons and how much influence he would have.

In this world, the more children a man had the more power he had and Lily had a feeling that right now, her father had all of the cards in his hands. She shuddered to think of what sort of marriage her father would dream up for her.

Already he was speaking with Lord Rickard Stark of Winterfell about the possibility of betrothing Cat to his heir Brandon.  
Lily had been there when Hoster had imparted the news to Cat and the smug look that had come over her sister's face, Lily had wanted to slap right off.

Her sister's self-importance was getting to her. She flounced about the keep as if she were already its lady and the more it happened and the older they got, the more annoyed Lily was becoming.

She had tried talking to Cat about it before, but the older red head had merely brushed her off as being foolish or overreacting because she was a child.

Sometimes Lily wished it was possible to construct a pensieve so she could shove Cat's head in it and make her see just what she had gone through.

 _I bet she wouldn't think I was childish then._

Ed too had been acting sort of strange since Axel was born. He refused to spend any time with the baby and carefully avoided any mention of him in conversation.

Lily was beginning to think that he was slightly jealous. For so long he had been the only boy among the Tully children and also being the youngest he had gotten a goodly amount of attention. And then Axel had come along, prompting both Lily and Minisa's focus to shift from him to the baby.

 _I think I need to have a talk with him too. He should want to protect Axel, after this boy won't be the heir to Riverrun, Ed will. The last thing I want is for the two of them to become like father and Uncle Brynden. No one would want that._

"Did you ever want a younger brother or sister Petyr?" Lily asked absently as she lowered her hand and curled one of her fingers around the baby's auburn locks.

The dark haired boy shrugged. "I never really thought about it. My mother died when I was only a year old and my father never married again because he didn't need to. I guess when you grow up with a lot of quiet…its something you become used to."

Lily frowned at her friend. That sounded a lot like something Severus would say. He had been an only child as well.

The one thing Petyr had on the former Slytherin was that he didn't grow up with an abusive father. Having only met the man once, Lily could see he was a decent man if a little more stressed than usual about the future, but Petyr hadn't had to worry about feeling the sting of the man's hand against his face.

So there was that at least.

But did that really count for much here?

Abusive parents and fathers and mothers were a dime a dozen in this world and Lily wondered if it had been like this in England as well and she had just been sheltered from it having the parents that she did.

She bristled slightly at the memory of her parents and decided that she didn't want to think about this anymore.

Petyr gave her an odd look. "Are you alright Lily?"

She nodded and turned back to the sleeping baby. "I'm fine. Lost in thought I suppose. As much as I like having another sibling, I hope this will be mother's last one. She's putting a lot of pressure on her body."

"Well after all the children she's given your father there won't be a need for anymore," Petyr said pragmatically. "Three daughters and two sons. Your father has five children

Lily, which means he's going to have connections all over Westeros when you all become of marriageable age."

There was a strange light in his pale eyes as he said that which made Lily frown. She wondered what he was thinking.

"Don't remind me," she said. "I'm not even eleven years old yet. The last thing I want to worry about it getting married. Besides, I'm the third daughter. Cat and Lysa will marry long before I will and hopefully I'll meet someone I like in that time and father will let me choose who I want to marry."

Petyr's eyes darkened then and he glanced down at the babe. "I hope my father will let me choose who I want to marry too."

There was a long almost uncomfortable silence and then Lily coughed and gently shoved the other boy's shoulder. "But we're too young to be worried about that aren't we Petyr? We're not even eleven yet."

The dark haired boy gave her a small smile. "Right. We don't need to think about that right now. By the way, have you finished that book Maester Vyman gave you?"

And just like that, conversation turned towards more comfortable things prompting Lily to breathe a sigh of relief.

She avoided the subject of marriage as much as possible, partly for the fact that she would have a very slim chance of choosing who she wanted to marry and partly because of the bad memories that came along with it. She had been married once, had loved the man she had married and had had a child with him. Marrying again, even though she hadn't seen James and Harry for ten years was excruciatingly painful. She knew she wasn't likely to find someone who she loved in the same way she had loved James and that grated at the most sensitive part of her soul.

Lily knew she would have to make a decision when she was older about whether or not she would respect her father's wishes and marry a man of his choosing, or if she would choose to be the Blackfish of her generation and run off like her uncle Brynden did, perhaps making a life for herself in the Free Cities.

While that idea was enormously appealing, there were a few qualms with it that made Lily pause. Doing that meant leaving Petyr, Ed and Axel behind forever and that was something she was loathe to do.

If she truly ran off, it would be total and permanent and she would cut all ties with the Tully name.

As much as the red head hated that a new life had been chosen for her instead of her being allowed to die or go back to Harry and James, she had grown accustomed to this world, to her new family and friends.

Despite everything that had happened and the manner in which she had arrived in this place, she had grown to love them.

It would be unbelievably selfish to leave all of that behind.

Her happiness would come at the cost of her family and her new home. And that was something Lily refused to do. No happiness was worth her family.

So the third option would be to stay, but to find a highborn lord of her own choosing, spend time with him in the proper context and then suggest a union with him and hope against hope that as time went on she would grow to love this person.

Lily accepted the fact that love was hard work. Even though she had chosen James, loving him had been laborious at times, even it had also been the most rewarding experience of her life.  
If she had to do it again…it would tear at her heart…but she could do it.

"Lily?" Petyr asked and the small red head realized that she had lapsed into silence yet again. "Are you alright? You have a strange look on your face."

Lily shook her head and squared her shoulders. "Yes Petyr, why don't we go outside? Axel isn't going to do much right now. We'll find Ed and see if you've gotten any better at using a sword."

"Of all the things I want to do right now, that makes the very bottom of the list," the other boy groaned. "Why do I need to learn how to use one of those anyway?"

"When you become the lord of your own keep, you'll be sworn to Lord Arryn or to his nephew Elbert Arryn. And should the Arryn of the Vale ever call his swords, you must answer. Unfortunately war is a part of this world Petyr and you're not going to get anywhere by reading and planning all the time. Sometimes this life will throw things at you that you won't be able to expect. What are you going to do when that happens?"

"I'll duck," Petyr muttered prompting a smile to jump to Lily's face. "Every time?"

"Every time."

"Then I hope that works out for you."

Ω

Later that evening, Lily was sitting in the large window sill of her chambers, dressed for bed and holding an enormous book in her lap.

It was the one Vyman had recommended to her and when she had told Petyr she hadn't finished making notes on it yet, he had complained that she had had it forever and if he had been given it first he was quite certain he would have read it twice by now _and_ made notes.

That had earned him a slap upside his head from the red haired girl.

But he did have a point. She had had it for a while and it was getting on time to finish it and get it back to the maester so Petyr could have it.

So here she was.

It was a book on Old Valyria, all the information that the Targaryens had acquired since they had first come to Westeros. It contained information about their dragons, their old family lines the landscape of Ancient Valyria and a thousand other mentions of the dragonlords.

Something that was of particular interest to Lily was the mention of the Valyrian steel, a secret that had long since been lost.

There were a few of the pieces in Westeros, the most famous being Ice which belonged to House Stark, but most had passed into legend.

That one was of some fascination to her because the sword had been in the possession of the Starks before the Targaryens had come to Westeros…so how on earth had a sword whose origin was from across the world come to be in Westeros before the ancestors of those who had made it had even gotten here?

It was a puzzle and one that Lily wanted to solve.

She made a note about the Valyrian steel sword called Brightroar that belonged to the Lannisters.

 _I wonder if the Tullys have such a sword,_ she thought to herself. _Every great house seems to have some sort of ancestral weapon, why don't we? I should ask Maester Vyman about it tomorrow._

Just as the thought passed through her mind, there was a slight almost timid knock on the door.

"Come," Lily called out softly.

To her surprise, the door opened a moment later to reveal her oldest sister standing upon the threshold.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Cat. What are you still doing up? Everyone's already gone to bed."

"I should ask you the same question," the older red head replied. She paused, twisting her hands together as if she were nervous about something, which only served to make Lily more curious.

Finally she looked up. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Lily blinked in surprise but managed to recover reasonably quickly. "Of course. Come sit down."

She put the book she had been reading aside and folded the parchment neatly before setting it atop the book.

Her own chambers were small but cozy with few pieces of furniture. Said pieces only included the bed, a large wardrobe, a writing desk and a sort of vanity that was next to the window only a few feet away.

The small writing desk was situated directly in front of the window with the bed on the left side of the room and the wardrobe against the far wall between two tall floor-length windows.

Lily liked her room the best as it had many windows in it that looked down onto the large river below the keep and it was a place of solitude. Its window sill she had enlarged with magic to make a window seat which she had covered with a blanket and cushions to make herself feel more comfortable.

No one usually bothered her when she was in her room and Lily was glad of that as it was the one place besides the godswood that she felt she could let all of her emotions out. The journal she had taken to keeping was locked in a secret compartment in her desk which she often wrote in in the evenings.

In those leather bound pages she had poured the past. She had recorded every memory she had ever had since her first childhood so she might never forget it and every memory she had of James and Harry so that they might live on in her mind forever.

Lily had emotionally let them go, but they would still be a part of her as long as she was still in existence and it would be a disservice to forget about them completely.  
So she had let their memories harden in her some ways, she wasn't as naïve or as sweet as she was before, every action needed to be taken with a grain of salt.

Maybe that was why she judged so much more freely these days and didn't feel herself capable of trusting quite as much as she used to.

It was a little sad when she thought about it, but one can't go nearly to the gates of the afterlife and then be turned back by the grim reaper to another life without being a little jaded and cynical.

She waited until Catelyn had settled herself on the window seat beside her and to the surprise of the younger red head, the older one drew her legs up onto the seat and pulled her night gown down over them as if it were a tent.

It was the most unladylike thing she had ever seen Cat do since Minisa had sunk her claws into her.

She suddenly got the feeling that what her older sister was about to say was personal and decided to give Cat her full attention.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Cat pursed her lips, a habit she had picked up from Minisa and glanced down at the knotted hands that were wrapped about her knees.

"We're getting older," she said finally. "And…we're different."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I could have told you that. We're as different as oil and water."

Cat ran a hand through her hair. "I know but…but that's not important right now."

This was very confusing.

"Right now?" Lily asked with a frown. "What do you mean? What's happening right now?"

It was then that she got a look at Cat's face and was astonished to see crystal like tears forming in the older red head's eyes.  
Immediately all judgements and resentments for her older sister flew out of Lily's mind and she leaned forward, deadly serious. "Cat, what's wrong?"

Her sister scrubbed at her eyes for a moment and took a shuddering breath.

There was a heavy silence between the two girls in which Lily could feel her anticipation mounting along with an ever increasing feeling of dread.

She felt like she was going to explode before Cat finally spoke again. But she only had to utter two words in order for Lily to feel ice water sliding down her back.

"It's mother."

An awful silence reigned between the two of them as Lily tried to process what Cat was talking about. Chills rose on her arms and she absently rubbed them with her hands before turning back to her sister and forcing her stiff tongue to move.

"What…What about mother?"

When Cat spoke again, her voice was so low that Lily could barely hear her. "She's sick."

It took a few seconds for that to compute before Lily felt like she had mastered herself and swallowed hard. "How do you know?"

Cat took another deep shuddering breath and swallowed hard again. "Yesterday….Yesterday I was going down the hall toward my embroidery lesson and I passed Maester Vyman's study. The door was standing ajar slightly and as I walked towards it I could hear muffled voices. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard mother's voice coming from within. I nearly paused but then decided what they were talking about wasn't any of my business and carried on. But then I heard mother say something that made me stop."

"What did she say?"

Cat took another breath. "She told him that the potions weren't working."

Lily's eyes narrowed so deeply she was certain she appeared to bear a strange likeness to Lord Voldemort.

She knew that Muggles taking potions in this world was far more common because there were no such things as personal healthcare. The maesters were the only ones who performed healing functions and potions were included in their job description. Maester Vyman had delivered all five of the Tully children and even those that were still born before Cat's arrival.

If anyone knew about the health of her mother it would be Vyman. And if she was taking potions from him in order to get rid of some unknown illness….no something was very wrong.

"What else did they say?" she asked, her mind whirling.

"Maester Vyman was quiet for a long time and then he suggested something else they could try, some other potion but I can't remember the name. And then mother sighed and she said….she said….she asked what the odds were of her surviving this illness."

Lily swallowed hard. No one had to tell her what _it_ was.

"Vyman, Vyman said that he didn't know. And then….Mother said if this didn't work, she didn't want to try anything else. She….She just wanted to let it happen."

Without even realizing it, the corners of Lily's eyes began to sting, and her fingers produced their own subtle tremble.

It couldn't be….it just couldn't.

But there was terrible certainty that even though she had somehow been given a pass from death, no one around her would be able to.

Not even her own blood.

A little dark voice whispered in her mind that she had been bracing herself for death ever since she was born.  
"Lily?"

The younger red head looked up to see Catelyn eyes flooded with tears that she wasn't even bothering to wipe away. Her face was blotchy and her hands trembled, her hair slightly askew as if the stress of the revelation had tousled it.

She had never looked more unladylike and the worst part was that she didn't even seem to care.

Hesitantly, almost robotically, Lily reached for her sister's hand because she knew it was something she needed to do.

In the next instant, Cat surprised her again by reaching out and pulling the younger girl into her arms, shoulders shaking with sobs and tears.

"Is mother going to die Lily?" she asked in a shaking voice.

Beyond Lily's surprise that her older sister had come to her about this and had not gone to her father or confronted Vyman about its truth spoke volumes about the way that she valued her presence.

Lily had always thought Cat found her annoying and only tolerated her presence because family was in their house saying.

She hadn't known that her sister saw a strength in her that she was drawn to. Maybe there was something she and Cat had in common after all.  
But the knowledge that it had taken something as gut wrenching as their mother's potential illness to bring them together is what scared Lily the most.

A united family shouldn't have had death to bring them together.

But she couldn't even bring herself to answer the older girl because the last thing she wanted to make was a false promise.

After all, James had promised her that they would survive the war, raise Harry and the rest of their family.

And that promise was currently rotting with the bodies of Lily and James Potter in a grave somewhere in England.

So she did the only thing she could do.  
Lily said nothing and simply held on.

Ω

 _Six months later…._

Lily carefully held Axel's chubby hands as she walked slowly behind him down the hall of Riverrun.

They were nearing the great hall of the keep and she wanted to show Minisa how well he was doing.

As Catelyn had feared, Minisa had grown steadily worse. Her hair had begun to thin, her face had become gaunt and her pallor had become an awful ashy grey.

The keep had become very quiet and somber with her illness and Hoster had been grimmer than usual.

As much as Lily may have disagreed with her new mother about some things, she could admit that she had always been the sunshine of Riverrun. Without that sunshine, things had become dull and grey and quiet.

After Cat had told Lily of her mother's illness, the younger red head had gone to Vyman and demanded to know if it was true.

The look on the aging man's face was all Lily needed to know before she demanded to be able to help him in making potions to aid her mother.

Vyman was hesitant at first, but Lily was persistent and after a few days he agreed. He wouldn't let her do much but when he wasn't looking Lily would add charms she had created in her first life when she had been cooped up in Godric's Hollow for months.

There weren't a lot of magical potions ingredients here but she did her best to go for walks in the woods and pick out the ones she knew would work.

So far her mother didn't seem to be getting any better, but she also hadn't been getting any worse.

Right now they were in a suspended state but Lily would certainly take a sickly mother over no mother at all.

When she wasn't helping Vyman with the potions, Lily was taking care of Axel as her mother was too ill to do so.

Lily knew it broke Minisa's heart not to have the strength to breast feed him consistently but it was more important that she be there for him all the time than for him to have no memory of her should the worst happen.

And so the Tully children had taken their turns with the baby, Lily and surprisingly Lysa being the most to mother him.

Cat tried her best but with her mother bed ridden, it fell to her to handle many of the duties at Riverrun, the ones that her mother had previously performed.

Again, Lily was very thankful for not being the eldest. Petunia had always had a lot more responsibility placed on her shoulders than her and it was no different with Catelyn in this sense. Her sister had to become a woman in her mentality and efficiency because the task could be performed by few others.

No concerns could be brought to Minisa as Vyman had insisted that she receive complete rest and not be in the presence of anything stressful.

So the Tully children and Petyr were essentially on their own.

"He's awfully slow isn't he?"

Lily rolled her eyes at her best friend. "He's six months old Petyr, of course he's slow. He didn't drop out of the womb and start running."

"I know," the other boy defended. "But you'd think he would be a little faster by now."

Lily halted and balanced Axel before turning to him. "He only started walking a month ago Petyr. Gods above and below, he's still like a baby horse."

"Actually a baby horse starts walking the moment it quite literally falls out of the womb," Petyr said with an air of superiority. "They have to or how else are they going to learn?"

 _Merlin, it's like talking to Severus reborn sometimes._

Lily rolled her eyes. "That was a poor example and thankfully the animal kingdom has no bearing on how Axel approaches life. The fact that he is walking at six months is what is so surprising. Most babies don't start walking until they are older. How old were you when you started walking?"

"Seven months," Petyr said in a slightly grudging tone.

"Well there you go," Lily said smugly. "Axel has you beat and for that matter, so do I."

"When did you start walking?" Petyr demanded.

"I was five months," Lily replied. "Mother often told me I didn't like to be picked up and so I decided to start walking as soon as I could in order to get around. As soon as I could hold my head up on my own, I was crawling and when I decided that wasn't good enough or fast enough, I decided it was time to start walking. So I did."

Petyr huffed but didn't reply and Lily took Axel's hands and continued walking.

He wasn't quite talking yet but he did like to babble a lot and make loud noises and Lily always made sure he knew he was being heard. The last thing a child wished to be was ignored.

All in all, it was sort of nice to be back in the mothering role. She hadn't truly performed that task since Harry even though it had taken on a pseudo form with Ed.

"Li!" Axel squealed which she had taken to be his name for her because he could express no more than one syllable.

"Alright Axel, I'm coming," Lily laughed. She turned to her best friend. "Are you coming or what? This is the first day that mother has been able to sit in the Great Hall in months. I think it would be very nice for us to walk in and for her to see Axel walking. It would bring a smile to her face."

"Alright I'm coming," the dark haired boy said with a very put upon expression. "Sometimes I think you're too sentimental Lily."

"And sometimes I think you're too stiff and don't enjoy life enough," the red head shot back. "Your head is so often buried in books that you forget to see the beauty of what's around you."

"Oh?" Petyr challenged as they walked down the sunlit hallway. "And what's that?"

"Nature, being outside, being around people, family, horseback riding, I don't know, take your pick," Lily suggested. "But all of that's going to pass you by if you spend all your time in the library. I love to read too but its about time you found some balance."

"Yes well, nature makes my skin itch, you know I hate horseback riding and I don't have any family here. My father's in the Vale and my mother's been rotting in her grave ever since I was a few years old," Petyr snapped. "So I ask you, what exactly do I have to enjoy?"

Lily nearly came to a halt as a feeling of dread came over her. That bitterness in her friend's voice was palpable and achingly familiar.

Severus had also once believed that he had nothing.

And Petyr could not be allowed to follow the same path as Severus.

"You have plenty to enjoy Petyr," she said turning to him. "For example you have a lot of playmates. There's four of us now for you to have fun with. And when Axel grows older, there will be five. The only reason you don't like horseback riding is because you're afraid of the horse and the horse senses it. You have to be a little more forceful with it. The moment they know you're not afraid they'll stop being afraid of you. And as for your father, maybe if you simply made an effort and wrote to him once in a while you could have the sort of relationship with him that you want. Why is that so difficult?"

Petyr stared at her for a moment blinking a little as if he were finding it difficult to process what she was saying.

And then he surprised her by giving her a small smile. "Maybe you're right."

Lily used one of her fingers to clean out her ear dramatically. "Excuse me but did I hear you just say that I was right? Did Lord Petyr Baelish, the knower of everything there is to possibly know in the universe admit that I was right?"

The boy gave a long suffering sigh. "Don't get used to it alright?"

Lily shook her head. "Too late for that. I have just made it my personal assignment in life to get you to admit that I am right and you are wrong all the time."

"What have I done?" Petyr groaned.

"You have awakened the beast," Lily said striking a dramatic pose and drawing Axel up short. "From now on, I will be dogging your footsteps to make sure you admit my superior rightness and your superior wrongness."

Petyr muttered what sounded like a curse under his breath that Lily was certain he had heard from one of the grooms. "Did anyone ever tell you Lilian Tully that you are extremely annoying?"

"All the time," the red head said airily.  
"And it doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all."

Petyr shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as they continued their stroll. "You're strange Lily."

"I know," the youngest Tully daughter said. "But you'll still put up with me because I'm your best friend."

"Despite my constantly questioning whether I have some sort of brain disease, that is in fact true," Petyr quipped. "Somehow you managed to become my best friend and I still don't understand how or why."

"It's my personality," Lily said giving him a smug smile. "You're just drawn to it."

Petyr muttered something then and she didn't hear what it was but Lily decided at that moment that it didn't matter.

This was the sunniest day the keep had seen in a long while and she wasn't going to let her brooding best friend spoil it.

"Come on Axel," she said looking down at her little brother with a large smile who saw it grinned back. "Let's go see mother. And maybe you can show Petyr that you're faster than he thinks."

She quickened her pace down the hall with the giggles of her little brother filling her ears.

"Careful there Tully," Petyr said catching up to her and taking Axel's other hands. "You're not going to get very far if he trips. In fact you'll probably start him crying and bring the whole castle running."

"Think positive Petyr," Lily said with a laugh.

"You be positive, I'll be realistic," the other boy muttered.

They continued their sun drenched journey down the hallway to the great hall, Axel's baby giggles dogging their footsteps with Lily laughing and Petyr rolling his eyes the whole while.  
Both of them were in various stages of positivity whether they were aware of it or not but they would not be so for long.

Because a mere eight weeks later, Minisa Tully died.

Ω


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lily wondered if black had been worn to her funeral.

If she had still been alive in England, she would have no doubt worn such a color to James's. She would have had to as the last thing she remembered before that awful cloud of green was the sound of James' body hitting the ground.

The horrid memory still made her cringe.

But somehow Lily didn't think James wouldn't have wanted her to wear black. James had been a man who was as large as life. He loved to laugh and play games and pranks and tell jokes. He had loved all sorts of colors but red had been a special favorite of his. Partly because of his house allegiances while at school and partly because of memories experienced in his boyhood.

Maybe she would have worn red to his funeral.

But in any case it wasn't worth thinking too much about now.

It did bring back a sense of memory however as she stood in the tombs where the Tully ancestors were buried before them and watched as the large stone lid was lowered over her mother's very still form.

The tombs of the Tullys weren't actually in Riverrun at all but in an ancient cave at the mouth of the river several hundred leagues downstream. Two guards were always stationed at its entrance and the wooden casket containing the body of Minisa Tully had been rowed downstream by two other guards while the rest of the Tully had followed behind in another long boat.

Hoster had sat at the head of the boat with Cat just behind him, Lysa behind her and then Lily followed by Edmure.

When they had entered the caverns, they had gone down a long stone passage that had been lit by torches. Two guards had walked ahead of them and two guards had followed behind.

Walking down that passage that was only dimly lit had been cold, damp and depressing and Lily had wished Axel had been allowed to come with them.

But Hoster had grimly stated that such an event was no place for a child of eight months so they left him behind in the care of his nurse.

When they had finally come out into the dim light Lily had been confronted with an enormous circular cavern that bore a large stone fountain in the middle in which the water had long since dried up.

There was a round spire in the center of it with a large stone carved trout at the top leading Lily to believe that this place had been around since the time of the Andals.

Carved into the rock around all sides of the chamber were tombs which bore the inscriptions of the names and dates of past Tullys.

There was a faint light coming from high above them and because the cave they were in was at the mouth of the river but inside a large cliff face, Lily believed it to be the dim light of the sun shining through a crack in the top of the cave far above them.

The casket which was being carried by guards behind them was brought forth to a stone casket across from the entrance and the large lid was pushed aside.

At the moment they were saying their final goodbyes while the septon led a long eulogy on the life of Minisa Tully.

Standing next to Lily was a very somber Petyr, a tight faced Ed and Cat and Lysa who were both in tears.

Behind them stood their father who looked as stone faced as lily had ever seen him. His complexion was an awful shade of ashy grey but it was a color that Lily had grown used to in the weeks up until Minisa had died.

During her illness Hoster had ceased to smile and now with her death, the red head wondered if he ever would again.

His robes were dark, making his face stand out in the dim light but Lily couldn't bring herself to look at him for long without a lump gathering in her throat so she merely turned back to the tombs an swallowed it as best she could.

And standing next to him was remarkably Brynden Tully who had somehow made it back to Riverrun in time for the funeral.

When Lily had seen him ride in through the gates the following day she had almost wanted to collapse in a heap with relief.

The septon was still droning on about their mother and how she had proven to be a loyal wife and Lady of Riverrun, how she had given Lord Hoster five healthy children to carry on his line and how she had been a gentle king and compassionate woman to the poor of the Riverlands.

 _She was all of those things,_ Lily thought to herself. _But you won't hear people talking about the funny things too. She was a stickler for anything that was unladylike. We had our differences…but she also gave birth to me and was very patient. Even if I didn't consider her to be a true mother because I already had one….I…I still cared about her._

The corners of her eyes were beginning to sting and she blinked hard, determined she wasn't going to cry until she had some privacy. Cat and Lysa were already wrecks and she needed to be strong for them.

But she as swallowed hard for what felt like the millionth time that day, she was surprised to feel a hand slip into hers and give it a slight squeeze.

It didn't take a genius to realize that it was Petyr.

She didn't look at him but she was grateful for the support even if he wasn't the most affectionate boy.

She would need it to get through today.

Lily glanced next to her and noted the tears streaming down Lysa's cheeks, reached out and took her sister's other hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

To her surprise Lysa squeezed back and then held on even more tightly.

Finally the septon finished prompting Lily to blow out an unconscious sigh of relief.

Hoster nodded to the septon who turned and quietly left the cavern before turning to the six smaller people in front of him. "Children. Say your last goodbyes. I will be by the cave entrance."

Without giving any of them a chance to say anything else, he turned and strode out of the cavern, dark cloak swirling behind him like he was a storm leaving devastation in its wake.

It was a rather ironic analogy.

Lily released another breath upon the disappearance of her father down the long tunnel and in the next instant she felt a pair of hands settle onto her shoulders.

The red head looked up to find herself gazing into the sympathetic eyes of Brynden Tully. He had taken a step closer to all of the children and reached down to wipe the tears from Lysa's eyes.

"Don't cry my girl," he said in a rough voice. "I know your mother wouldn't want it."

"But she's gone Uncle," Cat whispered tearfully. "I don't think I can't not cry."

"She wouldn't want you to Catelyn," Brynden replied. "Your mother loved each and every one of you, even the child she didn't know for all that long, a child who will be counting on you as the years go by."

He turned to Edmure whose face was pinched from the strain of keeping all of his emotions together. "You will be the Lord of Riverrun one day my boy. This is an awful test you will need to weather. But don't feel as if you cannot grieve. The whole of the Riverlands will grieve for some time over the loss of its lady."

"What are we supposed to do now Uncle Brynden?" Lysa asked. "Mother taught us how to do everything."

"You follow her example," Brynden said looking at the three girls. "Be the women she taught you how to be. But don't try to _be_ her. Be yourselves instead. Take care of each other, look out for one another and above all else if one of you is hurting be there when it is necessary. Do you understand?"

"Yes Uncle Brynden," four voices said at once, though Lily's was the quietest.

"Good," the Blackfish replied. "Come then. Your mother would want us to be out in the sunshine not in the dark of this place."

Somberly, Cat, Lysa and Ed turned to follow their uncle back down the passage and out of the cave. Lily however lingered by the stone casket.

She didn't realize that Petyr was still standing there until the boy had put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute," she said softly. "I want to say goodbye first."

He nodded but made no effort to leave either so the two eleven year olds just sat there in silence for a moment.

"You know," Lily said after a moment. "We have a lot of things in common, but now we have one more."

"What's that?" Petyr asked.

"We've both lost our mothers," Lily said softly placing a hand on the rim of the casket. "Does it ever get easier?"

"I can't really tell you," Petyr replied. "I never really knew my mother the way you knew yours."

"In some ways that makes it worse," Lily muttered bitterly. "I envy Axel. You can't miss what you never had if you never had it. He won't have any memory of mother….but the rest of us will. And it will be up to us to tell him all about her. We'll have to tell him about her smile and the way she'd want to pull her hair out when I'd rather fight then sew. We'll have to tell him all about how father's face would light up when she would walk in a room or how the servants said that her presence was like sunshine. We'll have to tell him all of that he'll have never known any of it."

"Which maybe makes you luckier than him," Petyr replied.

"What do you mean?"

The dark haired boy shrugged. "I never really knew my mother either. She died giving birth to a girl who died the same day. But I would have liked to have known about her. My father never talks about her though. So one day I stopped asking. You at least got to know her and what she was like for eleven years."

"What's your point?" the red head asked.

"My point is when you stop talking about her, you forget about her. Just make sure Axel doesn't grow up like I did."

"And how did you grow up?" Lily asked.

Petyr turned away and walked to the entrance of the cavern only stopping to look at her when he had reached the threshold. "I didn't know a thing about the woman who gave birth to me. Make sure he isn't like that too."

And then he turned and walked back into the tunnel leaving Lily alone in the cavern.

After a moment the redhead turned back to the stone casket, feeling the familiar burning in the corner of her eyes that she had been trying to hold back all morning.

She licked her lips and placed a hand on the top of the stone. "I know I wasn't like Catelyn and Lysa mother, but that didn't mean that I didn't love you. I wish I could have told you about my other mother. But I don't think you would have understood. But then again…maybe there are some things you would have."

And then, not certain if she could bear it any longer, the red head pressed a kiss to her fingers and placed her hand atop the casket as a final goodbye.

She was saying goodbye to Rose Evans as much as Minisa Tully. Both had known her and loved her.

And now both were gone.

Ω

Later that evening after Lily had sat with a tearful Lysa and made sure she was asleep before she had left to put Axel to bed, the exhausted red head made her way back to her own chambers. She was grateful that Cat had seen to Ed so she wouldn't have to. She had spent most of the day holding back her own grief and was eager to get to her own rooms before she completely fell apart in front of someone and made a fool out of herself.

But seemed that she was out of luck because the moment she rounded the last corner and turned down the hall towards her rooms, she was confronted with the sight of a tall figure standing outside her door.

Lily slowed down and sighed quietly. "Uncle Brynden, I thought you had gone to bed."

"I might have thought the same thing about you," the tall auburn haired man said. "I went around to every one of your siblings rooms and found them fast asleep along with Axel who was being watched over by his nurse. And you were not in any of their rooms. So I could only assume that you took care of them first and then came to your rooms when you were done. And as it turns out, I was right."

"Well," Lily said opening her door. "It seems you know me well Uncle."

"I do," the Blackfish said following her into the room. "In fact I know you so well that I know you wouldn't have allowed yourself to grieve until you had made sure everyone else had their time first. And I wanted to make sure you weren't alone when you did."

"Well that's very kind of you Uncle Brynden," Lily said briskly as she laid her cloak down on the bed and sat by her window seat to take off her shoes. "But I'm alright. I don't need to grieve. I said all I needed to when we buried Mother this morning."

Brynden Tully said nothing for a long time but Lily could feel his eyes on her. She wished he would stop looking at her like that. He was one of the few people in Riverrun who knew her so well that he never had to guess what she was thinking but also always knew what she was hiding and when she was lying.

And it wasn't fair.

She could feel herself beginning to crack and the last thing that she wanted was an observer when it happened.

Finally her uncle spoke. "I never told you how your grandmother died did I?"

Lily had a feeling she knew where this was going but at the moment she didn't have the energy to call her uncle on his coaxing. "No, you didn't."

Brynden sat down on the chair by her desk and leaned forward so his elbows were resting upon his knees.

"Your father is several years older than I am," he said. "So he remembers her better than I do. But I do have memories of her smile. She was also a very strong person, much like you."

Despite herself Lily felt a lump begin to gather in her throat.

"She fought long and hard for what she believed in which was family. She fought her illness for many years so she could see your father and I continue to grow. But after a time, her body could no longer cope with the ravages of the disease and it simply shut down. It was far more devastating for your father than I because I was still a child at the time and she contacted the illness only a year after I was born. But after a while he realized that that she held on for as long as she could and the only reason that she had lasted like she had was because of him and I."

Lily blinked hard. If her uncle didn't leave soon she was going to burst into tears and that would be beyond embarrassing.

"What's your point Uncle Brynden?" she asked tersely.

"My point is," the auburn haired man said in his gruff voice. "Is that sometimes its alright to let go sometimes. A person cannot be strong forever and you have been a pillar for this family all throughout your mother's illness Lilian. But its alright to let someone else bear the burden at times."

At that point however, Lily had stopped listening. She had gone back into the past about a week or so when a servant had brought a message to her, saying that Lady Minisa would like to see her youngest daughter.

It was with some reluctance that Lily went as she was certain the news was either very good or very bad. If her mother who was critically ill wished to see her to tell her something, there was no middle ground perspective to the quality of information.

And as it turned out she was right.

 _"_ _Mother?" the small red head said tapping on the door of the Lady of Riverrun's chambers. "The servant said you wanted to see me?"_

 _Truthfully Lily had been standing outside the chamber door for a good five minutes debating whether or not to knock. She could still get away if she ran now. Maybe her mother would forget whatever she wanted to tell her and things could go back to normal._

 _But somehow the twenty one year old in side of an eleven year old's body knew that no matter what happened her mother would still be waiting for her to come to her room, open the door and sit down by her bed._

 _To say that she was nervous was a bit of an understatement._

 _What could Minisa possibly have to tell her? And would it be good news or bad? Did it have something to do with her illness? Or was it even important at all?_

 _Well….there was only one way to find out._

You're a Gryffindor, _the red head thought to herself._ And you can't call yourself a Gryffindor if you're too scared to go in there. You faced down Voldemort and even though you died you stared him right in the face.

 _And then she finally managed to summon her courage and opened the door._

 _The room itself was dim but Lily could see a slit of light in between the curtains on the far side next to the bed. It lit the room in a dull glow making the red head want to pull the drapes aside and let the sun in._

 _Why on earth had Vyman ordered them closed anyway?_

 _The sunshine might do Minisa some good._

 _Lily glanced at the bed and noted the still form of her mother lying beneath the sheets. A closer look revealed the steady rising and falling of her chest, indicating that all was well and that the Lady of Riverrun was fast asleep._

 _The red head breathed an unconscious sigh of relief and then turned to tiptoe out thinking that whatever her mother had to tell her could wait until after she had had some well deserved rest._

 _But just as she turned to make her escape, a quiet voice called out, halting her in her tracks._

 _"_ _Lilian Tully, just where do you think you're going?"_

 _The small red head grimaced at the sound of her mother's voice and then after a moment turmoil pivoted back to the bed._

 _Minisa was very much awake and looking at her daughter with a pair of amused deep blue eyes._

 _Lily grimaced, she really did know all of her tricks didn't she?_

 _"_ _Nowhere mother," she said somewhat sheepishly. "I just thought you were sleeping and I didn't want to bother you."_

 _"_ _Mmhm," the older woman said sounding more amused by the moment. "Why would I be asleep when I asked the servant to find you and ask you to come to me?"_

 _"_ _You might have gotten tired waiting?" Lily asked suggestively._

 _Minisa chuckled and patted the seat beside her on the bed. "I'm not so ill yet that I can't wait up for you to come to me."_

 _Lily frowned. "What do you mean yet?"_

 _"_ _Well," Minisa said as the eleven year old sat down on the bed. "That has something to do with what I wanted to talk to you about."_

 _Dread like icy fingers wrapped around Lily's heart and began to squeeze. She knew right away that this conversation wasn't going to end well._

 _She slowly began to twist her hands in her lap, anxious for something else to focus on than the words she had a feeling were coming._

 _"_ _Why did you call me?" she asked finally._

 _Minisa gazed at her for so long it began to make Lily feel uncomfortable. Her blue eyes were searching and Lily sensed that they were looking at her every thought and every emotion._

 _"_ _You're a strong girl Lily," she said finally. "From the moment I looked at you after you were born and you didn't cry I knew you were going to be the strongest that I had. Cat may have been my firstborn, but you….maybe its something about the child that's born in the middle that makes them more resilient than any other child. People always think it's the oldest, but I happen to think it's the child born in between the others. You see they need to balance the ego of the older ones and put them in their place but they need to help take care of the younger ones too."_

 _"_ _Why are you telling me all this?" Lily asked._

 _"_ _Because I don't want you to forget it," Minisa replied reaching a somewhat shaking hand down for Lily's. "I don't want you to forget who you are. You're different from your sisters but different isn't bad. You're fearless Lily and I want you to stay that way. This world….its not kind to women and in order to get through it, you need to be strong. But I think you know that. Being strong doesn't mean you wear a mask to protect yourself or you carry a sword around and fight with it when necessary. Being strong means making the hard decisions when there is no other way. Being strong means putting your family first, but being strong also means that you must stand your ground because doing what's right isn't always easy. You can't compromise on that. Promise me you won't."_

 _"_ _I promise," Lily whispered. "But Mother, why are you talking like this? You're talking like….like you're not going to be able to tell me this again."_

 _"_ _We can't predict life Lily and we can't predict the gods. The Stranger is a creature that walks to the rhythm of his own bells. But when they chime for us….we can't ignore them."_

 _Lily knew a little too much about the Stranger and his activities and anything that reminded her about that horrid encounter she had had in that room with the tall fireplace caused her to cringe._

 _"_ _I just wanted to tell you," Minisa continued, jerking her back to reality, "that its okay that you're different. In fact I'm glad you are. Life would be very boring if all three of my daughters were exactly the same. Your father and I had to have had one child to keep us on our toes and my darling you were it."_

 _Despite the situation and her own anxiety, this statement always caused Lily to laugh. And Minisa joined in for a long moment of giggles before a coughing fit seized her, forcing them both to sober up._

 _"_ _You've always marched to the beat of your own drum," Minisa said, her voice sounding a bit more hoarse from all the coughing. "But that's what sets you apart. Before long your father is going to choose someone for you to marry."_

 _Lily grimaced causing her mother to chuckle again. "It's going to happen my girl, just you wait. But you're strong, you know that anything worth doing in this world takes hard work. And I'm proud that you're that way. You keep that attitude and there won't be anything in this life that can stop you, man or no."_

 _The red head grinned again. They had had their differences in the last few years but Minisa seemed to have finally accepted that Lily was different from Lysa and Cat and never would like sitting around in an ivory tower waiting for a man or some fairy-tale future. Her own experience with Voldemort had taught her that there was no such thing as a happy ending and if you even wanted something along those lines you had to work for it._

 _"_ _Promise me you'll stay strong and work hard at whatever you want to do," Minisa said. "Promise me Lilian."_

 _Her hand on Lily's had grown tighter almost to the point of pain but the red head had simply held on and squeezed back. "I promise Mother."_

"Lily?"

The eleven year old jerked back to the present at the sound of her Uncle's voice. "W-What?"

Brynden Tully narrowed his eyes down at the smaller girl. "Where were you niece?"

But Lily wasn't going to answer as the memory of her last conversation with her mother became clearer and clearer.

Stay strong….be brave….be true….and work hard.

They were things eerily similar to what Rose Evans had always told her and in that moment Lily felt her carefully constructed façade begin to crack.

Her uncle must have realized it too because he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh child."

A strangled sob rose from Lily's lips as she finally gave herself permission to grieve.

And Brynden Tully simply pulled her into his arms and let her cry.

Ω

 _Three Years Later…._

"Come on Petyr keep up!" the red head yelled over the rush of the wind. "We're going to be late!"

"Will you slow down?!" The fourteen year old shouted from somewhere behind her. "We're not going to be late!"

"You don't know that," Lily called out as they raced their horses through the woods and along the riverbank. "Father said that Uncle Brynden was arriving today. He hasn't been back to Riverrun in months!"

"Do you think he's going to waltz in and then waltz right back out before we get there?" Petyr demanded. "He's probably going to stay for a few weeks!"

Lily ignored her best friend and urged her horse faster. She never felt more free than when she was riding.

It wasn't as good as riding a broom and soaring through the skies but seeing as how she didn't have access to one, riding was good enough.

In the three years that Minisa Tully had died, most of the children had thrown themselves into different activities to keep their minds off their grief.

Slowly but surely they had all healed but there was still a lingering ache left behind from Minisa's departure.

To this day even three years later Hoster still rarely smiled and the lines around his eyes had grown deeper, the hair at his temples greyer.

He had become obsessed with the running of the Riverlands and furthering his influence. One of the many ways in which this had been accomplished had been with Cat's recent engagement.

She was only seventeen but their father had determined in two years she would be wed to Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell and future Warden of the North.

She had been beside herself with joy at the prospect while Lily and Petyr had simply rolled their eyes.

It wasn't long after that that he had moved on to sixteen year old Lysa and had sent a letter to Tywin Lannister regarding his son and heir Jaime as a potential match for Lily's second sister.

Unlike Cat Lysa hadn't been as happy about this prospect but she had agreed as she often did.

And as for Lily, well he hadn't really talked about her marriage yet but seeing as how she was only fourteen there was at least two to three years wait on that.

But Lily had been proactive and demanded of Vyman to let her know the moment her father began considering options for her and she would take it from there.

What she intended to do was meet every single one of these "option," if there was more than one and see if they were to her liking.

But seeing as how she was the third daughter of Hoster Tully, she just might have a lot more freedom and be overlooked for a while longer.

And that was quite alright with her.

But speaking of marriage there had been a lot of talk throughout the realms in the last few years about one marriage in particular.

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.

Lily remembered about the customs of the dragon lords that she had read about when she was younger and knew exactly what the outcome of a Targaryen marriage would be.

Needless to say the thought had turned her stomach.

But seeing as how Queen Rhaella had only produced two sons from her marriage to her brother Aerys, the crown was in need of a queen.

And there were a few of the greater houses that had put forth their daughters as potential candidates.

The first was the most obvious choice and one many had been certain would wear the crown. After all her father had been Hand of the King for almost twenty years and the girl in question had been practically raised at court. She had the looks, the charm, the grace and from what Lily had heard the arrogance to match.

If she succeeded in wedding the prince that meant that her family would have a lot of connections which was why Hoster was so keen to see Jaime Lannister wed Lysa.

However lately it seemed as if the old lion had fallen out of favor with the king and instead a potential second choice was becoming clearer.

About a year and a half ago, King Aerys had sent his cousin Steffon Baratheon to the Free Cities to find a bride with Valyrian ancestry for his son. Needless to say the man had not been successful and on his return journey a tempest had struck just off the coast of the Baratheon stronghold of Storm's End and sunk the ship, killing Lord Baratheon and his wife Lady Cassana.

It had been a horrible tragedy but one that had been quickly overlooked by the royal court.

King Aerys had then turned his attention to the south where he had decided that Elia Martell would be a good choice as the next queen as she was the closest woman in Westeros to Valyrian ancestry.

As a result Aerys saw to it that his son and the Martell girl were betrothed and she had been sent to King's Landing to become accustomed to her new life.

The wedding was to be in a mere ten weeks and many nobles had been invited though most were turning up anyway.  
Some were curious about the Martells, some wanted a taste of power and some just wanted to be at court.

All of the Tullys were going as well but Lily was hardly interest in a royal wedding which was why she was so thrilled that her Uncle Brynden was turning up. If he was going to stay at Riverrun or if he had some errand to accomplish for her father than Lily wanted to be with him.

A royal wedding sounded downright dull.

And she didn't want to give her father any ideas about finding a match for her too soon. If she wasn't there, the less she would be on his mind.

She and Petyr clattered through the gates of Riverrun to the cries of welcome from several of the groomsmen.

Lily vaulted off her horse with Petyr right behind her and dashed up to Ser Desmond Grell who was in the process of chewing out of some of the young squires who had come to Riverrun with her uncle. "Ser Desmond!"

He turned at the sound of her voice and gave a swift bow when he saw who it was. "Lady Lilian, Lord Petyr."

"Is my uncle here Ser?" Lily asked breathlessly.

"Aye my lady he is, he arrived no more than a quarter of an hour ago. He and your lord father are currently holding council in the Great Hall and – "

But that was all Lily needed to hear.

She grabbed hold of Petyr's arm and began tugging him towards the keep. "Hurry up!"

"Gods woman do you ever slow down?" the teenager muttered. "What's your hurry?"

But Lily didn't pause to answer. Her uncle was her most favorite person in the whole world and he had been gone for months. She couldn't wait to see him.

And it was in that excited manner that she burst into the Great Hall where several people were gathered. "Uncle Brynden!"  
Sure enough the tall auburn haired man who had been standing in the middle of the room talking to her father with a few peoples sitting on the benches around him turned and gave her a familiar grin. "Lilian!"

The fourteen year old dashed up as quickly as she could and flung her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

Her uncle uttered his booming laugh and spun her around. "I missed you too sweetling."

When he set her down it was only then that Lily noticed Cat glaring at her from her seat. "Lily sit down. You're interrupting father!"

Lily stifled the urge to roll her eyes and plopped into a seat next to her sister. "Very well what boring thing were we talking about now?"

Cat's eyes widened. "What are you wearing? You look like a stablehand!"

"These are my riding clothes," Lily explained in an almost long suffering manner. "I can't very well ride in a dress now can I?"

Edmure who was now twelve snickered and three year old Axel who was sitting on the lap of Lysa let out a shriek of laughter.

"If the five of you are quite through, your uncle and I had business to finish," Hoster snapped shutting them all up.

"Don't worry children," Brynden said winking at his nieces and nephews. "There will be plenty of time for reunions later."

"Yes," Hoster said dryly. "I hope you plan on explaining all after your trip to the Vale brother."

"You're going to the Vale Uncle?" Lily interrupted her eyes beginning to sparkle. "What for?"

"Lily!" Cat hissed but the younger red head paid her no mind.

"I have to business to attend to for Lord Arryn," her uncle said jovially.

"Yes business," Hoster muttered. "It's always business."

There was an awkward silence before Lily spoke up again, suddenly possessed of a clever idea. "Well if you're going to the Vale Uncle perhaps it would be a good idea to accompany you."

"Whatever for?" Hoster demanded.

"Lily!" Lysa burst out. "Don't you want to go to the wedding? There's going to be all manner of wonderful things to do there!"

"Other than dancing you mean?" the red head asked dryly.

"Besides," she said turning to her father, knowing she was taking a gamble. "It might be a good investment."

"In what?" Hoster asked.

"Why my future," Lily said knowing she was about to lie through her teeth. "Isn't Elbert Arryn still unattached? Suppose I were to like him. Odds are Lord Arryn won't be leaving for the wedding as yet if he has business with Uncle and it will give me a chance to meet his nephew. Think about it father. Cat will go north, Lysa will go west and I could go east."

All of her siblings were looking at her as if she had sprouted a second head and all of a sudden a dark look had come over Petyr's face.

But the face Lily was looking at the most was her father's. She had appealed to his ego and his desire for power and it might have just come back to bite her.

But she also knew she had the tool of compulsion on her side. If her father ever asked about her meeting with Elbert Arryn all she had to do was tell him Lord Arryn had already chosen a girl of the Vale for him and that would be the end of it.

His attention was already focused on Cat and Lysa anyway. He didn't need anymore power.

Sometimes it was good to be a witch.

She didn't even intend to get to know Elbert Arryn. Her whole purpose in going was to get some freedom and have some fun in the process.

A peculiar gleam came into Hoster's eyes as he thought about the idea.

"Yes," he said slowly. "That would be a golden opportunity."

Brynden had raised an eyebrow and sized his niece up as if to ask what on earth she thought she was doing.

"Very well then," Hoster said finally. "Lilian you will accompany your Uncle to the Vale, however as soon as his business with Lord Arryn has been concluded you will return to King's Landing with him for the royal wedding, do I make myself clear? And try to look your best."

"Yes father," Lily replied.

She wanted to grimace as she really hadn't wanted to go to the wedding at all but at least this would give her some freedom before she did.

And who knew? She might even like Elbert. At least she would be proactive about her future and not simply do everything her father commanded. At least if she chose who she would marry first and he was an appealing match, both her and her father could be happy.

She didn't expect to love anyone, she had already met the love of her life and lost him. But marrying was inevitable and running away wasn't an option for Lily.

At least this way she would have some say.

"Is that alright with you Uncle?" she asked.

"Yes my dear," he said giving her a pointed look as if to say that they would discuss this later. "I would be very glad of your company."

Ω

 **Finally the story is beginning to get going lol. Lily is going to meet Robert in the next chapter. I know she's taking a risk but at the moment she isn't interested in getting married and she thinks using a bit of compulsion to make her father forget about something isn't the worst thing she could do. Granted she won't use any unforgivables though. I really wanted Lily to meet Robert first though. They aren't going to by any means be friends, but I do want to give you guys a taste of what's ahead lol. Also there's been a bit of a plot change regarding Brynden. In chapter four I mentioned that he had rejected the marriage proposal that Hoster had suggested for him because he was already married. However I had a better idea for the character so I removed that bit of dialogue between him and Lily. So Hoster is no longer married and is blissfully single once more. The plot point has been removed entirely. In the next chapter is Lily and Robert's meeting, an interesting surprise and the trip to King's Landing for the royal wedding of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell who happens to be one of my favorite characters in the entire world of ASOIAF. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I'm not sure about this."

Lily looked up at her best friend from her place atop the step stool in the library. "What do you mean?"

Petyr was standing below her with a very serious look on his face as if he had been thinking long and hard about something. At fourteen he was far less skinny than he had been at ten but was still slender. The only thing that annoyed Lily about his development was that he was an inch taller than she was.

Ah well, there would still be more growing for the two of them before they became adults. Hopefully they would at least be the same height when they reached eighteen. Lily wasn't counting on it however, she had been an inch shorter than James when they were both twenty one.

That little detail caused her to grimace and she blinked, forcing her mind back to what Petyr had said.

He ran a hand though his dark hair as if frustrated. "This harebrained plan to run off to the Vale with Ser Brynden. Are you sure it's a good idea?"

Lily laughed tossing her red curls over her shoulder carelessly. "What makes you think this is a harebrained plan? If anything this is freedom. You knew that I didn't want to go to the capital for this gods awful wedding. If anything this is just another sorry display so the king can show off his power and remind everyone else who rules the realms. It's pathetic if you ask me. And I have no desire to be there for as long as anyone else. So when Uncle Brynden informed father that he was going to the Vale on some business for Lord Arryn I jumped at the chance."

"And what about that plan of yours?"

"Which one?"

Petyr made a sound of frustration in his throat. "Gods woman can you keep at least a few of your plans straight? The one where you hinted at a possible match between you and the future Lord of the Vale?"

Lily laughed. "Petyr you don't honestly think I was serious do you? I have no intention of getting to know Elbert Arryn. For all I know Jon Arryn might have someone for him already. I just want to see the Vale and finally get out of the Riverlands. You boys get to have all the fun by going all over. But I've never seen mountains before and I want to go."

Petyr looked at her suspiciously. "So you don't intend to suggest you marry Elbert Arryn to your father?"

"Of course not!" Lily burst out. "How long have you known me? I'm only fourteen years old. I'll leave the scheming when talking about marriage to Cersei Lannister."

"Well that didn't exactly work out in her favour did it?" Petyr snorted.

"And that," Lily said having finally selected the book she was looking for and hopping down from the step stool. "Is why I will leave the political games to people like you and father."

Petyr frowned as they left the library. "What do you mean people like me?"

Lily shrugged. "You've always liked planning and scheming far more than me. I'm honest, I'm bold and I expect people to respect that. There are times when I can scheme a little but I don't do it nearly as often as you do."

"I'm not certain whether that's a compliment or an insult," The dark haired boy said.

"I'll leave that to your big brain to figure out," Lily chuckled.

Petyr just shook his head at her and then stole a peek at the book tucked under her arm as they walked down the halls. "What book were you so keen to get anyway?"

"It's a chequered history of the First Men of the south," the red head explained.

Her friend pulled a face. "Why on earth would you want to read about something like that?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "Why not? History is interesting and it is from history where we derive our way of life, our advancements, our political processes and all the stories that are passed down from father to son. Why wouldn't I want to know about something like that?"

Petyr shrugged. "It just doesn't seem to be the sort of thing someone like you should be interested in."

Lily halted, put her hands in her hips and looked at him through narrowed eyes. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Petyr seemed to have realized his verbal blunder and fumbled for words for a moment. "Nothing, I just mean that you're the sort of person that seems more interested in horses and fighting and healing. You don't talk about history a lot."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I see. You barely saved that you know?"

"The operative word is _saved,_ " Petyr said with a smirk. "Which I did."

Lily huffed and the two continued to carry on down the hall in silence. It was a sunny afternoon and the bright light from beyond the clouds peeked in through the windows of the keep casting square beams of brightness upon the floor.

"Do you think Axel will remain here?" Petyr asked and a frown coloured Lily's beautiful face. "I'm not sure. He's only three which is a little young to be traveling but at the same time if everyone else is going I'm not sure my father would be content to have him remain here with a nurse and the servants. He's become remarkably protective in the last three years."

"I'm sure it has something to do with Lady Minisa," Petyr observed quietly and Lily nodded. "He has five children to look after and he's a Lord Paramount. No wonder he wants to keep you all close."

"You're probably right," the red head sighed. "Very well then, Axel will go to the capital. You'll keep an eye on him for me though won't you? He's only three and I worry about him sometimes. Especially now that he'll be in the same keep as the king."

Petyr sobered instantly.

Horrifying rumours had run rampant in the last decade or so about the mental instability of the king and some of the horrid and gruesome things he had done making all the realm wary and the nobles nervous.

This wedding was going to be a large and public event where all manner of people were going to be present. This would be the perfect opportunity for the king to show off and perhaps do some questionable things that would throw into sharp relief his utter failure and inability as a king to _be_ a king.

Lily had heard all of the rumours and if even half of them were true than Aerys was as mad as Voldemort without the magic and she wanted Axel nowhere near him.

She had come up with the idea to place protection charms around her little brother and all of her siblings for that matter while they were in the capital and near the king.

But protection charms were better served when they were physical objects so Lily was working on several art projects to give to her sisters and her brothers before they left. Come to think of it Petyr might need one as well.

"Have you written to your father recently?" She asked.

Petyr nodded. "I did. He's going to be there for the wedding. He told me he has some business for one of the minor Lords in the capital."

Lily's face lit up at the words. "That's wonderful Petyr! Did he say how long he's going to stay?"

"No, but because there will be a wedding and a tourney as well as gods know how many feasts and parties and dances, I can expect him to be there for a few weeks at the very least."

"Well good," Lily said with some satisfaction. "Perhaps I'll finally get to meet him."

Petyr shot her a sideways glance. "What are you talking about? You've met my father."

"Not really," Lily said. "We were children when he brought you here. I remember what he looks like but I don't remember talking to him."

"Well then should the time come I will introduce you to him."

Another long silence passed before they spoke again.

"What do you think a royal wedding is like?" Lily asked absently.

Petyr raised an eyebrow at her as they paused by one of the windows to look down into the courtyard. "Going starry eyed on me Lily? I thought you didn't want anything to do with the wedding."

"I don't!" The red head exclaimed. "But you have to admit it's an interesting social experiment."

Petyr's other eyebrow rose. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Well think about it," Lily explained. "In the next few weeks the whole of the capital is going to be crammed to the rafters with major and minor lords and all of their sons and daughters each frothing at the mouth to get a glimpse of power or a taste of power and the royal family will no doubt use this opportunity to show off their wealth and power especially the king. If he is as stark raving mad and narcissistic as everyone is whispering about than he will want everyone to know how much he has and what he has. And he may do it in such a way that is dangerous. But because everyone is going not everyone cares about that. This wedding is a carefully laid façade for a power play. And everyone knows it but no one is going to say it."

Petyr's eyebrows and all but disappeared into his hairline as he processed what she had said before shaking his head. "You're strange Lily. Who thinks about something like that?"

"I am being perfectly serious," the red head said indignantly. "No one cares about this wedding, but everyone is going to see how much power and influence they can get and wield. Let me give you an example. No doubt Lord Stark will be sending his sons to this wedding and Father will catch up with Brandon Stark at some point so that Cat may peddle her own influence with him. And speaking of influence, the Hand of the King will also be present along with his son and daughter and father will be hunting down Jaime Lannister as a bear hunts a fish so that some form of agreement might be put in place between him and Lysa. And you can bet that everyone else is going to do the same thing as well. It's all rather petty and depressing don't you think?"

"I suppose," Petyr said his expression turning thoughtful. "But that's the sort of world we live in Lily. It's not as if you can change it."

"Well someone should," Lily grumbled.

Petyr laughed. "You're talking about wanting to change history since the beginning of time Lily. It doesn't work that way."

"Change can only be brought about if you want it to happen and you work hard for it," Lily snapped back. "Just because it's always been that way doesn't mean that it needs to continue. Power isn't everything you know."

Petyr fairly nearly scoffed at that. "Lily, power _is_ everything in this world that we live in. Whether that is power over people, power over land, power over money or power in politics or whatever, power counts. And for you to think that it doesn't is naïve. Everyone wants power but not everyone will get it. Power is not bad, but it's what you do with it that matters."

Lily's righteous indignation had died to a still warm ember. She could feel it glowing deep within her but she decided to say no more.

She remembered a similar phrase that she had heard in her first life but she couldn't remember who had said it to her.

 _There is no such thing as right and wrong….there is only power and those too weak to seize it._

It sounded just like something Voldemort would say and Lily cringed to herself remembering the snake like man, the last face she had seen before she had died.

"Do you really believe that?" She asked her best friend.

Petyr looked curiously at her but nodded. "I do."

"So if you were king of this whole realm," the red head said deciding to put him to the test. "How would you rule it? Would you be like Aerys Targaryen?"

"Gods no!" Petyr said looking appalled. "No one should emulate him. If I were king, I think I would be quiet."

"Quiet?"

"Yes quiet. How else would I be able to learn about what I need to do if I didn't first observe how to do it and all the mistakes of everyone else?" Petyr asked.

Lily paused for a moment. "That's a very good point."

"I know," he said with a hint of smugness.

"Would you serve yourself or would you serve the realm?" She asked suddenly.

Petyr blinked as they stood there by the window. "What's the difference? What benefits me would benefit the realm and what benefits the realm would benefit me."

"That's not strictly true," Lily cautioned. "What benefits the realm would benefit you because it would make the people love you but to assume whatever benefits you would benefits the realm would be the height of hubris. And we have had far too many kings with an inordinate amount of pride."

Just then she glanced down into the courtyard where Edmure was having yet another training session with the Blackfish and she smiled to herself. "Come on. I'm going to put this book in my room and then we can go downstairs and watch Uncle Brynden whip Ed into shape again. Maybe he'll teach you a thing or two as well."

Petyr rolled his eyes. "You and your optimism. I'm never going to master that bloody sword and you know it."

"Never say never Petyr," the red head called as the two of them walked down the hall. "The day you do is the day you cease to take risks and live life."

"No one ever said that living life had to be all daring adventure Lily," Petyr muttered as he followed her.

"Than those people have never truly lived."

Ω

The night before Lily and her Uncle were to leave for the Vale and the rest of the Tully's were to leave for the capital, Lily stayed up late working on some of the protection charms she was going to give to her siblings in the morning. They weren't strong protection charms but she didn't want the king to notice them at all really. She doubted he would as they were going to be sons and daughters in a sea of faces but she didn't want to take the risk that any of them would draw his attention for whatever reason.

So she had purchased a small jade necklace on a silver chain for Cat and a small silver bracelet with pale grey river pearls on it for Lysa. Some of the stones on the bracelet and necklace were moonstones which were known for their healing properties in case something happened.

And speaking of things happening over the last few years the weight of keeping her magical secret had continued to weigh on her most heavily.

It was something she had never told Minisa but Lily had always had a feeling that her mother knew there was something different about her.

But she was gone now and no one knew about her gifts. Cat didn't know, Lysa didn't know, Edmure didn't know, Axel didn't know although she doubted he would understand as he was only three, Petyr didn't know, her father didn't know and her Uncle didn't know.

This secret had been kept for her entire childhood in Westeros and Lily knew she would need to either tell them all soon or not at all.

The most worrying thing however was that she wasn't sure how they would all take it. The South was heavily embedded in the worship of the Seven and even though her father wasn't a particularly devout man, he had certain religious obligations to keep up.

Should it be known that the third daughter of Lord Hoster Tully was a sorceress for lack of a better word of extreme power…well Merlin forbid the riverlands might be thrown into disorder and chaos and suspicion….and at worst the news may reach King Aerys.

This thought caused Lily to shudder. There had been rumours that the man had an odd fascination with fire and magic and dragons and the last thing she wanted to do was be put in the centre of his attention.

Then again if it put a crown on her head as opposed to Elia Martell Lily had no doubt that Hoster would be thrilled with it.

But she had no wish to marry at fourteen especially with a father in law like Aerys Targaryen. That would be like living in the same house with Voldemort!

No, she would need to be very careful about a full magical disclosure in the near future especially if it would affect her new family and her new home.

As she was pondering the merits of when and where such a notion could be fulfilled, there was a knock on the door.

Lily blinked and then frowned as she turned towards it, wondering who on earth would be awake at this time of night.

Thinking it was something important she put the trinkets she was charming down on the bed and threw a piece of cloth haphazardly over it before striding for the door. "Come in."

But whoever it was had either left or didn't hear her for when Lily opened the door there was no one in the hall.

She frowned and looked down the left passage finding it empty only to turn to the right and be confronted with a small retreating back.

Her frown widened as she realized with a start who it was.

"Lysa?"

At the sound of her name being called out the older girl came to a screeching halt as if startled by the break in silence.

She paused for a moment with her back to her younger sister before turning around like she were a puppet on a thread.

"Lily," she said with a smile on her face but the younger red head detected some measure of force behind it as if she were holding something back. "I wasn't sure if you were still awake and I didn't want to bother you."

"It's no bother at all," the other girl said with a frown of speculation on her pretty features. "I was just putting some things together before we all leave tomorrow. Is something wrong? Do you want to come in?"

Lysa hesitated for a moment before surprising Lily by twisting her hands together as if what she wanted to talk about was of a great deal of importance but was also personal enough that she didn't want to be vulnerable.

And that was when Lily knew she would have to twist it out of her sister if she wanted to know the truth.

So she walked forward, took hold of the other girls arm and drew her towards the door of her own chambers. Lysa didn't resist which Lily took to be a good sign and continued to bring the older girl to the door of the room, pulled her inside and shut it behind her. "Now, what seems to be the matter?"

The whole time she was talking the fourteen year old had walked back to the bed but Lysa remained standing by the door looking at her feet and still twisting her hands together as if in deep mental turmoil.

"Lysa?"Lily asked. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure if I should say," the older girl muttered which was very unlike her. "You might be a little too close to the problem."

"What on earth do you mean?"

Finally Lysa blew out a breath and seemed to deflate as she did so as if she were taking down the mental wall she had erected around herself. "I don't want to marry Jaime Lannister."

Well that had been unexpected.

"Who said you were going to?" Lily asked cautiously.

Lysa laughed but it was a distinctly bitter sound which caused Lily to flinch. "Don't act as if you're the one who suddenly has their head stuck in the sand Lily. Father's been talking about this marriage ever since Cat's was secured. He'll have one daughter in the north and one in the west and it will afford him ever so much more power. But he never asked me what I wanted."

She took a deep breath as if that was something she had wanted to say for a very long time but lacked the nerve.

Lily frowned. "Alright then. I will ask it. Why don't you want to marry Jaime Lannister?"

The older red head paused for a long moment as if getting her thoughts together. "I would have to go and live in the Westerlands away from all of you. And his father…I've heard he's scary. What if he doesn't like me?"

"Jaime or his father?" Lily asked.

"Both of them!" Lysa burst out. "Tywin Lannister has been the Hand of the King for twenty years and everyone says it's because of him that realm has done so well. He's supposed to be an incredibly intelligent man and he'll probably want a bride for his son who's just as intelligent. And that's not me!"

"What makes you say that?" Lily asked through narrowed eyes.

"I don't read as much as you and Petyr because I don't like it, I'm not as good with horses as Ed, and I don't practically run the keep like Cat. There's nothing I'm particularly good at and in order to help my husband run a keep I have to be good at something. And I'm not good at anything!"

Her outburst echoed loudly in the quiet room causing her to look fearfully at the door as if someone would pound on it demanding to know what they were talking about.

"Lysa?" Lily asked after a long moment of silent contemplation. "You told you that you weren't good at anything?"

Lysa pursed her lips and drew them into her mouth until they all but disappeared. "No one."

Lily knew in an instant that she wasn't telling the truth for that was the exact same face James had worn when he was trying to keep a secret from her.

So she asked again. "Lysa….who told you that you weren't good at anything?"

And then the older red head muttered something that Lily didn't quiet catch which caused her to lean forward. "Say that again?"

"Father," Lysa whispered so quietly that she barely moved her lips.

This time Lily heard it loud and clear.

She literally felt the blood draining from her face as she went absolutely pale with rage. Her hand grasped the bedspread in a vice like grip of fury and she steered herself for calm. "He said that to you Lysa?"

"Not to my face," the other girl said quietly. "But I heard him talking to Maester Vyman the other day about sending ravens to the north and the west. Vyman commented that father was being very proactive about my and Cat's marriages. Father said that we will do our duty and that he had high hopes for Cat. And then Vyman asked about me and Father sighed and said he hoped Tywin Lannister would accept this proposal and that I would do my duty and provide Jaime Lannister with sons because there wasn't much else that I was good at."

Her voice broke slightly as she finished her statement and Lily let out a sigh that seemed to come from the pit of her stomach. "Oh Lysa, you know that's not true don't you?"

"Do I?" The older red head demanded. "I'm not smart, not like you and Petyr. Ed's being groomed to be Lord of Riverrun one day and Axel is still a baby. Cat is basically mother come again in which the whole keep is run like a well oiled machine. But there's nothing for me to do other than sit there and look pretty. No wonder father doesn't think I'm good at anything because there's nothing for me to do!"

Lily wanted to put her head in her hands in that moment. Her father had become a far different man when Minisa died. He had been quietly introspective before and somewhat amused and interested with the activities of his children but now…now he was ambitious greedy and downright cruel when necessary.

And it seemed Lysa had been the most recent recipient of his unnecessary cruelty.

"I'm sorry Lysa," She said feeling both anger and sorrow. "He shouldn't have said that."

Her older sister passed a hand before her eyes as if as if she were wiping away tears and trying to hide them. "But it's true though. He just said what I was always thinking. I'm not good at anything."

"That's not true!" Lily hissed fiercely. "You have a lovely voice! You're one of the most prolific writers I've ever met. Your stories never cease to amaze me and I can think of many times when you've lulled Axel to sleep with one of them."

"What good are stories when you're running a keep?" Lysa asked. "It's a worthless hobby and I should have quit it long ago!"

"Listen to me," Lily said reaching out and grabbing her hand so her sister would cease her pacing. "It's not worthless. Do you know what stories truly are? They're record keepers. They talk about the past and the present and the future in a way that history books can't. Keeping records is incredibly important because it reminds us of what we have done, what we are doing and what we have yet to do. They remind us not to be prideful, they remind us to have courage and they remind us to be ready for whatever the future brings. Stories and records are important Lysa and the person who keeps them even more so. How else would the Tully's have such a proud history without them? How else would be know anything in Westeros without stories? They are vital to the the life of a country and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool."

The older girl stared at her with eyes filled with an almost desperate hope. "Do you really think so?"

"Yes!" Lily exclaimed. "Pay no attention to what father says. He can barely see past his own nose at times."

This brought a small chuckle out of Lysa and Lily smiled with relief. Her second sister had been a bit more aloof than the rest of her siblings but Lily had had a feeling that beneath that aloofness lurked an insecure and sensitive heart.

Lysa seemed calmer now but Lily sensed there was still a matter that had yet to be settled. "So if you don't want to marry Jaime Lannister….What do you want to do?"

Lysa was quiet for a while longer before releasing another large breath and slowly making her way over to the bed so she might sit down next to her sister. "I want to stay here, with you and father and Ed and Axel and…..and Petyr."

There was a subtle pause between the names she had listed and Hoster's ward and all of a sudden Lily knew what this was all about.

"Why Lysa Tully!" She gasped, amusement and surprise tussling for control within her. "Do you have feelings for one Petyr Baelish?"

The older glanced down at her tightly clenched her hands together and stared intently at the floor as if all the secrets in the universe could be found in one of the tiles. "Would you be very angry if I did?"

Lily frowned. "Of course not. Why would you think I would be?"

Lysa's hands must have twisted themselves into a knot at this point. "Well the two of you are best friends and you've spent so much time together over the last six years I thought you might have feelings for him."

"Certainly not," Lily chuckled. "We are best friends yes but that is all. If I knew you had any sort of affection for him I would have not spent so much time with him so you could. Why on earth didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't really know what to say," Lysa explained with some nerves. "He always spent all of his time with you and Ed and now Axel that I thought it might be too late to say anything. But when father mentioned us going to this wedding and the possibility of meeting Jaime Lannister there….I realized I had to do something before it's too late. So I wanted your advice."

"On how to tell him?" Lily asked.

"Yes! I don't want him to go back to the Vale without knowing how I felt. His father might have someone he wants him to marry just like father has someone he wants me to marry. You're his best friend Lily, what should I do?"

The younger red head sighed and ran a hand through her mused curls. "There's no easy answer to this Lysa."

"I'll take _any_ answer at this point," the other girl said throwing up her hands.

"Well," Lily said trying frantically to think of a way she could as sensitive and tactful as possible. "Then I would wait to talk to Petyr until after you meet Jaime Lannister."

Lysa's eyes narrowed. "Really? Why?"

"Because it's not a good idea to judge a gook by its cover," Lily said. "You don't know if he'll be the exact same way as his father and you wouldn't want to be judged by the way father is would you?"

Lysa cringed before shaking her head. "No I wouldn't."

"Exactly. So wait to meet Jaime before making a decision. If your feelings haven't changed after meeting him then maybe you should talk to Petyr and spend more time with him. If there's one thing that he values it's honesty. And if he doesn't feel the same way than at least you'll know before you really get hurt."

"Do you think he would feel the same way?" Lysa asked with something that looked suspiciously like desperation in her eyes.

"I honestly don't know," Lily replied. "Only he can tell you that. I think he's figuring out what he wants to do with his life so he might be confused on what he wants. But you won't know until you ask."

Lysa blew out a breath and closed her eyes as if he had come to the end of her emotional spiel. "Alright. Thank you Lily. I'm glad I came to talk to you."

"So am I," the other red head smiled. "You know you can whenever you want to don't you?"

"I know that now," Lysa said with a slight smile before she leaned over and gave her younger sister a brief hug. "I wish you were coming with us to the wedding."

"I am coming," Lily protested as she returned the hug. "It'll just be a bit later that's all. I want to have a bit of fun first before we get to the boring political bit."

"At least you'll be the only girl surrounded by three men in the Vale," Lysa said somewhat dreamily. "Elbert Arryn, Eddard Stark _and_ Robert Baratheon. I think I envy you a little sister."

"Don't be silly," Lily said playfully slapping her shoulder. "Ned Stark's brother is going to marry our sister, and as I understand it Robert Baratheon may be marrying Ned Stark's sister and as for Elbert, well I'm not sure about him. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"The purpose of this trip wasn't so that you could meet him at all was it?" Lysa asked shrewdly with a small smile and Lily smirked. "Not in the slightest."

To her surprise Lysa let out a bark of laughter. "I knew it. There was no way in the Seven Hells that you would go to the Vale to seek out a marriage proposal. The Stranger would come to take us all away first."

Lily barely restrained herself from grimacing at the ironically accurate metaphor. "Yes well. If it give me a little bit of freedom than I am more than open to the idea."

"Very well," Lysa said getting up from the bed and striding to the door. "But for the love of all the gods try not to get yourself into trouble when you go."

"How little you know me," Lily laughed.

It was only when her sister was gone that she lay back on her bed and thought most carefully about what Lysa had told her.

Lysa had been behaving strangely in the last few months whenever Petyr was around and Lily supposed she should have picked up on it earlier but she just hadn't been paying attention

Well no longer.

She resolved from then on to keep an eye on her sister and Petyr. The last thing that was needed was a broken heart after all.

Ω

 _One week later…._

"You're awfully quiet," Brynden observed. "Is everything alright?"

Lily blinked in surprise at having been pulled from her whimsical thoughts. "Nothing is wrong Uncle. Why do you ask?"

"Because you've been staring off into space for the last ten minutes and you didn't hear any of the questions that I asked you."

The red head flushed slightly.

They had been on the road for about a week now with Lily and the Blackfish riding at the fore of their small party of men and Lily had been loving it. She had very rarely been away from Riverrun and had only gone to the nearby surrounding towns to see to the markets and the orphanages there.

This was the first time in her fourteen year old life that she would be away from the Riverlands altogether and there was so much to see and look at that she had just kept her mouth closed and was focused on taking it all in.

The air was lush and clean, prompting Lily to breathe deeply as much as possible. The road they were riding on was lined with trees there was an infinite blue sky up ahead with soft white puffy clouds that reminded her of sheep wool scattered here and there. There was more of them now that they were getting towards the end of the day and the sun was beginning to go down.

The road ahead of them was quiet as was the road behind and Lily thought it a perfectly lovely evening.

Her own thoughts however had not been so lovely.

That wasn't to say that they had been bad, merely musing. She had given the charms to her brothers and sisters on the day they left and all had had mixed reactions. Both Lysa and Cat had reacted with joy to the charms and Ed had merely given her a smile.

But it was Petyr who had looked at the leather scabbard she had fashioned for him with a rune engraved into it with some trepidation.

 _"_ _How did you know?" He had asked._

 _Lily had frowned at him. "How did I know what?"_

 _Petyr reached into his pocket and very carefully pulled out a short sharp object that she recognized immediately as a dagger. "How did you know I needed a scabbard for the dagger father sent me?"_

 _Lily had simply smiled. "You've been carrying on for so long about how you accidentally cut yourself on whatever sharp knife you pick up and so I was surprised no one thought to get you one so I did."_

 _Petyr had cautiously trailed a finger down the thick leather and the rune of protection Lily had engraved into it with magic. "What does the rune mean?"_

 _This was quite easy to explain without magic._

 _"_ _It's a symbol that the First Men used hundreds of years ago," Lily explained with a smile. "It's means protection and safe journeys."_

 _Petyr slowly looked up from the scabbard and his grey green eyes bored deep into hers. "I didn't get you anything."_

 _Lily rolled her eyes. "You don't have to get sentimental on me Petyr. I'm the one who's going away for a few weeks. So I wanted to get you all something to remember me by. Just make sure that you use it. I don't want to come back and see you covered in scars."_

 _"_ _Don't worry, I will."_

 _All of a sudden Lily became aware that someone was watching them and she looked up to see her sister about to climb into the wheelhouse. She had one hand on the doorframe and one foot on the step but she had paused and was watching them._

 _Lily smiled at her and Lysa returned it but it looked sort of wobbly as if she were unsure of herself. Then she had climbed inside and Lily hadn't seen her again._

 _It was only after that she realize what her goodbye to Petyr must have looked like to Lysa and she wanted to cringe and then curse herself._

 _You need to be far more careful knowing what you know, she had thought to herself. The last thing you want to do is give anyone any ideas._

"I'm sorry Uncle Brynden," she said, her thoughts still on Lysa and Petyr. "I guess I've just been a little distracted."

"I can see that," the Blackfish said sounding amused. "So what has you so distracted that you're staring into the clouds as if they contain all of the secrets of the universe?"

Lily released a sigh that seemed to come from the pit of her stomach. "Uncle why is it that you never married?"

Both of Brynden's thick eyebrows rose so high so fast that they threatened to jump off his face. "What brought that question on?"

Lily sighed. "Just my own speculation and experiences I guess. The older I get the more I wonder if you didn't have the right of it all those years ago by not marrying."

Her Uncle threw back his head and laughed uproariously. "The older you get? Child you are four and ten. You needn't sound as if you are as old as I am."

He continued to laugh and Lily smiled slightly though she hadn't been jesting. With her fourteen years here combined with the twenty one she had lived in England she was thirty five years old mentally and she had seen a number of things in both lives that had caused her to question some carefully held truths.

Finally Brynden stopped laughing and looked at his niece who had remained utterly serious. Seeing how calm she was, he too lapsed into sobriety.

"Lilian there is nothing inherently wrong with marriage and your father would have my head if I poisoned you against the ideal. The gods know you are his most wild child and he will be very relieved when you settle down.

He said the last phrase fondly and Lily knew he was only part jesting.

She smiled slightly. "So why didn't you marry then?"

"Because marriage isn't for everyone," Brynden shrugged. "It goes beyond merely wanting to or not wanting to do so to what sort of person you are. And I wasn't the sort of person who would be content marrying and settling down. But that doesn't mean that you are the same way."

Lily looked at him startled. "I didn't say anything about me."

"You didn't have to," the Blackfish said in his own quietly astute manner. "Both of your sisters are soon to be married. It's entirely logical that you'd want to think about it as well."

Lily grimaced. Maybe she wasn't as subtle as she thought.

"As I was saying," her Uncle said giving her a fond smile. "It's not something you need to worry about."

"It is if father picks someone out for me that I don't have a say in," Lily spat. "I have no intention of being a useless breeder for the rest of my life. If I ever do marry, I want to be respected and not sit in some ivory tower like mother did. I don't want to stop fighting or riding horses or shooting a bow. I want to still be me."

Brynden raised an eyebrow at her outburst and cast a glance back at his men. Lily grimaced and stole a look at them too only to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that they weren't paying attention.

"Who says you wouldn't be you if you marry?" He asked.

"Did you know mother before she married father?" Lily asked.

"No."

"Well there you go! What if she was an entirely different person than the woman who married father? What if she liked to do all the things that I liked to do and when she got married father didn't let her do them anymore?"

"First of all," her Uncle said raising a hand so he might gently cut her off. "You and your mother are not the same person. She was a lady and you're….well you're a warrior of the highest degree. It doesn't mean that she's right and you're wrong or vice versa, it just means that you're different and there's nothing wrong with that. I might not have known the woman that was Minisa Whent before she married your father but I think it's safe to say that you are very different from who she was."

Lily fell silent for a long moment.

"What are you afraid of?" Her Uncle asked and Lily started both annoyed and impressed that he had picked up on her inner turmoil so quickly.

"I don't want to lose who I am," she said somewhat thickly and those words held deeper meaning for her than her Uncle knew.

"Then don't," her Uncle said. "Marry or don't marry, swing a sword or wear a dress, it doesn't matter. But you're still the same person regardless of what you do. But whatever you do, do it because it's the right thing."

"Was not marrying when father asked you to the right thing to do?"

"Yes," Brynden said shortly. "And what brought all of this on anyway?"

Lily sighed and then told him all that Lysa had told her before swearing him to secrecy.

Brynden Tully was a scarily good listener and only when Lily had poured out the entirety of her conversation from a week before did he speak.

"How do you think Petyr will respond?"

"I don't know," Lily replied. "But I don't want Lysa to get hurt most of all. She seemed very….vulnerable when I spoke to her."

Brynden sighed as they rode along. "Your sister has always been a vulnerable soul. Perhaps it comes from being the second daughter. She's always been compared to Cat and then you come along and you're vastly different than Cat so she isn't certain of what she's supposed to be, dignified and demure like Cat or fiery and opinionated like you. Give her time."

They spoke no more on the subject for the night but as Lily laid her head to pillow in the inn of the small town they had stopped in, she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time that she thought about this.

Ω

A few more days passed in their journey before Lily had her first odd encounter in this new world.

The sun was once more going down when they stopped at an inn in a small town just south of the Gods Eye.

Brynden gave some short commands for his men to see to the horses and then turned to deal with his own mount while Lily turned to hers.

After this had been handled they both went inside for a meal and while her Uncle was seeing to the arrangement of their rooms, Lily looked around for somewhere to sit.

She was rather surprised to see that there were a few seats sitting next to the fire that were unoccupied. Only one man in a long dark green cloak was sitting there with his hands folded into his lap staring into the blaze.

No one was sitting near him and for a moment Lily wondered why. There seemed to be at least a ten foot radius between himself and all the other guests of the inn as if he exuded some sort of aura that made others avoid him.

Lily watched him for a moment and then shrugged, deciding that she must be imagining things. There was probably a perfectly good reason as to why no one was sitting near him. He was probably traveling alone while everyone else was traveling in groups.

Lily eyed him a moment longer before she shrugged and decided to go over. The night air had a bit of a bite in it and she wanted to warm up. The green cloak she was wearing had done a decent job cutting the wind but there was just something nice about curling up in front of an actual fire.

The moment she drew near to the man however he looked up from beneath his hood to meet her eyes.

Lily blinked a moment but then nodded at him. "May I sit down?"

"Of course," he replied. His voice startled her. It was thick and gravelly, the sort of voice she might have imagined from a fairy tale that she had read when she was very small. There had been a myriad of them that Rose Evans had read to her and his voice mirrored the sort of tone that a man of wisdom or a great battle commander from one of those fairy tales might have had.

Of course she was now herself living in a sort of fairy-tale with knights and balls and ladies so it sort of made sense.

Lily carefully took a seat, keeping one eye on the fire, one eye on her mysterious companion and finally keeping the odd gaze on her uncle who was still speaking with the innkeeper.

"Are you just passing through?" she asked deciding to make polite conversation.

There was something about him that had drawn her attention like a magnet when she had walked into the room and it also seemed to be the same thing that was repelling everyone else in the inn.

"You might say that," the man replied almost sounding amused.

"Are you from the Riverlands?" Lily asked.

"I am," he replied.

"Whereabouts?"

"Around the Gods Eye," he replied and Lily's eyes widened.

"Are you near the Isle of Faces? I've always wanted to see that place. It's supposed to be the most mysterious location in all of Westeros and one of those with the most history as well."

The man turned towards her and from beneath his hood Lily thought she saw a flash of green eyes all of a sudden.

"Oh it's not that mysterious," he said almost cheerily. "In fact it's open to all who wish to come."

"Have you been there before?" Lily asked, her excitement mounting.

"I have," the man replied.

"What's it like?" the red head asked all of her caution giving way to interest and curiosity.

"Oh it's a quiet place," the man said. "Not many people are there and those who do come don't often leave because it's a haven for those who wish to step away from the world around them. The scenery isn't much different than what you might see along the bank of every forest really. In fact it looks just like every other island that is around this area. I think its reputation stems from the fact that there is more speculation about it than fact."

This was a very strange conversation.

Lily frowned slightly. "So other than peace, what is it that draws people to the place?"

The man in the long green cloak gave her a long look for a moment before she thought she saw a smile beneath the shadow of his hood. "It's rather hard to describe. Some who come don't wish for peace at all. Some of questions and some merely feel a tug to come to the island."

Lily nodded although she wasn't quite certain she understood what he was talking about. "So anyone is welcome on the island?"

"Anyone at all," he said. "Even the third daughter of Lord Hoster Tully."

For a moment Lily wasn't certain she had heard him correctly and this forced her to blink a few times before she processed all he had said and was able to formulate an answer.

"How….How do you know who I am?" she asked.

Just then the sound of footsteps met her ears and she flinched before turning around to meet the eyes of Brynden Tully.

"Are you alright?" he asked putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes," Lily said almost dazedly still trying to formulate how the complete stranger she had been having a strange conversation with suddenly knew her name, who her father was and where she came in the maze of children he had.

She turned back around and blinked once more to find that she was sitting by the fire alone. The man in the green cloak had completely vanished and there was no trace that he had ever been sitting by the fire beside her.

She looked around wildly for a moment hoping to catch a glimpse of him but there was no man who fit his description anywhere in the inn.

It was as if he had faded into thin air.

 _How did he do that? I know I didn't imagine it all._

It wasn't until her eyes fell on the table in front of both chairs that she saw something that must have been left deliberately.

It was a tree leaf….and not just any leaf. It was the crimson colored pointed leaf off of a hearts tree that she had often seen in the godswood at Riverrun.

It was placed in the middle of the table so it was not as if it had simply clung to someone's cloak or been swept in through the door by a wind.

No…it had been placed there for a reason.

"I'm fine Uncle," Lily replied in a suddenly calm voice. "Have you sorted out our rooms?"

"I have," Brynden Tully said still looking at her oddly. "I was going to see about something to eat. Are you coming?"

"I'll be right there Uncle," Lily said absently reaching for the leaf on the table.

"Alright," he said. "The guards and I will be in that corner with our meals. Don't be long."

"I won't."

The moment he was gone, Lily brought the red leaf close to her face and closed her eyes, breathing in its scent.

There was a strange spicy fragrance to it that was unlike anything she had ever smelt, a mixture of peppermint and ginger.

She knew without a doubt that it had been left for her.

And that was when the red head cast her eyes into the corner of the fire and noticed a strange shadow.

It was thin and oblong as if it were a cane but when she had gotten up to investigate she realized it was none of those things, but in fact a staff of sorts.

It was black like it was made of strange wood that she had never seen before but it wasn't until she got a closer look at it that Lily realized the wood covering it was merely a sheath of sorts.

Gradually becoming more and more curious the red head pulled at the sheath until it came off and uttered a clear note of freshly oiled metal.

Her eyes wide, she brought the weapon…for that was what it was…back to her seat and examined it more closely, noting that the staff was about as tall as she was and that it had two sides. There was a piece of leather wrapped metal in the middle for a grip but on one end and the other there was a strange pale silver metal that she had never seen before.

Lily had read about Valyrian steel but she knew for a fact that this wasn't it.

It almost appeared to be silver but somehow she had a feeling that that wasn't what it was either.

It was a double sided staff with long razor sharp metal blades on both ends that were curved slightly at the very top. There was a strange rune carved into the flat of each blade and when Lily tugged at the middle section of the staff she was surprised to see that it came apart.

At first she was afraid she had broken it but when she examined it more closely, she realized it was meant to come apart to be two blades.

This was becoming stranger and stranger.

The meeting of an odd man in a green cloak just south of the God's Eye and the Isle of Faces led to a peculiar conversation about that Isle and then a Houdini disappearing act leaving behind a weirwood leaf and a double bladed staff.

 _I have a feeling that I was supposed to come on this trip,_ Lily thought to herself as a strange chill crept up her skin. _It seems I'm not the only one with magic in this country._

Ω

 **I'm so sorry, I know I said Lily would meet Robert in this chapter but this seems to be the most logical place for a break and something told me that I should stop here so I followed my gut and did. I promise she will meet him in the next chapter though. Also for those of you who didn't see the author's note in the last chapter, I have decided to remove the bit of plot I had inserted about Brynden's family. He no longer has one as I have a story line in mind for him that is much better served if he remain's single. The passage about Brynden's family is no longer in chapter 4. As a side note I have been wondering what all of the Tully children looked like as adults and in my opinion Petyr in this story looks a bit like Skander Keynes when he played Edmund Pevensie in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. If anyone has any ideas about what the rest of the Tully children look like I'd love to hear them. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It would be quite fair and apt to say that Lily was quite bewildered for the next few days.

She said nothing of her encounter with the strange man to her Uncle who she knew for a fact had taken notice of her silence.

In truth, Lily's quiet introspection felt like something she had no choice but to engage in after the strange encounter.

She had kept the staff that the man had left behind but kept it charmed so that no one would notice it. The red head was on the fence about whether or not to mention the strange meeting to her Uncle because if she did, she might have to explain to him about her magic.

But would that really be so bad?

She had wondered about how much she should say or if she should say anything at all given what she knew.

But how much did she really know?

A man in a long green cloak with green eyes had sat beside her in the inn and she had had a short and odd conversation with him. And then he had disappeared into thin air leaving behind a strand weapon that she had never seen before but yet she couldn't help feeling was meant for her.

Naturally none of that made a lot of sense.

So Lily decided to keep silent for the time being and yet keep the weapon close. If it was meant for her than she was going to learn how to use it gods damn it.

And so the next few days of their trip passed, they passed the God's eye and then left the Riverlands behind altogether.

Before long Lily became aware of rocky crags in the distance and the lush greens of the forest giving way to greys and steel colours of rough ground and stone. Their horses hooves on the path grew louder and the sky became more visible as they weren't nearly as many trees to obscure it.

"The Vale Lilian," her uncle called out to her in a rather formal voice. "The home of the Arryns and the Mountains of the Moon."

"I can see that," Lily muttered as she looked around. "It does have a certain majesty to it doesn't it?"

It did at that and Lily was suddenly reminded of the mountains that surrounded Hogwarts causing a lump to form in her throat.

She swallowed hard and turned back to her Uncle. "I hope I get to see more of them up close while I'm here."

He smiled at her. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves niece. I promised your father I would keep you out of trouble and I am certain that going traipsing through the mountains qualifies as trouble."

Lily laughed. "Well then let's just make sure we don't tell him."

Brynden raised an eyebrow. "There are times when you are so like me that it is frightening."

They had just passed over the channel between the Riverlands and the Vale and were now on the High Road heading towards the Bloody Gate which afforded Lily a spectacular view of the Vale of Arryn in all of its craggy glory.

So far they had met no travellers on the road which was a little odd but so far their company had paid it no mind.

It was a quiet overcast day which allowed for some blessed relief from the summer heat. The Vale was much cooler than the Riverlands and the wind whistled over the rocks and through the crags in a delightful chorus that lifted the hair from Lily's shoulders and rustled the sleeves of her tunic.

The staff which she had disillusioned was still strapped to her back and every so often she would reach back behind her shoulder and touch the top of the blade as if to make certain it was still there.

The presence of it still confused her but she had a feeling she was supposed to take it with her so she had.

What also confused her was the fact that it seemed to be the perfect weight and height for her. It's grip in her hands was perfect, and her fingers wrapped around the pole without them overlapping each other.

Underneath the leather wrapped grip was the strangest wood she had ever seen. It appeared to be birch bark but no type of birch bark she had ever seen. It was mostly white with a few streaks of black interspersed throughout.

She still examined the blades and the strange Runes carved into their flats wondering what on earth they meant.

She hoped in time that she would.

"Banners to the fore if you please," the Blackfish said suddenly and Lily looked at her Uncle sharply. "Is everything alright?"

"I thought I just heard a strange sound," Brynden Tully imparted. "Perhaps Lord Arryn sent a delegation to greet us."

Lily strained her ears to hear what her uncle was hearing for a moment and squinted slightly as she looked at the rocky crags around them.

And that was when she saw them.

They had entered a narrow passage in the path where only two horses could walk abreast and large rock walls rose on either side of them. They had passed through certain sections where the High Road mimicked such a design so Lily didn't find it alarming but in this silence she could almost feel a sense of tension begin to rise.

She glanced at her uncle's face and saw his narrowed eyes and grim countenance and slowly reached a hand behind her back to touch the blade of the staff, as if drawing comfort from its presence.

But when she chose to look around her at their surroundings she noticed that they were not alone.

Slowly coming up amidst the rocks was a strange collection of men in an even more peculiar assortment of armaments. Some had long hair and others kept their manes closely cropped. All had long beards as to guard their faces from the harsh winds in the mountains. Several of them had axe heads rising above their shoulders and she was certain she saw one with a flail of all things.

She narrowed her eyes, having heard stories of the Mountain Clans of the Vale, how they were of the First Men and were defeated by Artys Arryn when the Andals arrived in Westeros.

Some of them certainly looked the part of brutal killers given their whispered cheeks and hard expressions.

And then she looked ahead of her and saw that the narrow pass they needed to go through in order to continue their journey was begin blocked by another collection of the same men.

And all of their eyes were trained on their small party.

 _Oh dear….._

Lily reached out and touched her uncle's arm as he rode next to her. "We have an audience."

Immediately the Blackfish jerked his head upwards and took in the threat surrounding them. His eyes narrowed and he reached for his sword.

Lily knew he was analyzing patters and knowing that they were in a tight spot. If the men of the clans wished, they could pick them off with arrows one by one.  
She could certainly see bows in the hands of many of them with arrows notched on the strings.  
This was very bad indeed.

In an instant Lily realized that if it came down to a fight, she was going to have to use her magic to get them all out.

She took a deep breath and braced herself. She hadn't intended to reveal it in so wild a fashion but if it came down to it and she didn't have a choice that that was what she would do.

She noticed in the next instant rather that while all of them were armed, they had not drawn their weapons.

 _If they wanted to attack us they would certainly have done so by now,_ she thought to herself with a frown. _What's going on here?_

Brynden seemed to also sense that this was a strange encounter for he left his hand on his sword but did not draw it.

The horses nickered as if nervous and absently Lily patted the neck of her mount to calm her.

Just then a man with an impressive grey beard on the right side of the rocky craggy wall beside them called out something in a loud voice.

It made no sense to Lily but next to her, her Uncle suddenly stiffened as if he had been shocked.

"What did he say?" She asked.

"He is speaking in the old tongue," the Blackfish replied as if stunned.

Lily wasn't sure how her Uncle knew the old tongue of the First Men, but he had also traveled extensively so she decided not to question it.

"Uncle?" She asked again. "What did he say?"

Brynden Tully didn't have time to reply for in the next instant, even more men emerged from the rocks and alarmingly began to make their way down through the crevices towards them.

The horses cantered back and forth and Lily became even more aware of how difficult this would be to get out of if weapons were drawn.

It was then that she looked up and locked eyes with the man that had spoken and was shocked to see his eyes trained on her.

There was an almost burning intensity in the depths of those silvery grey eyes as if she was the whole purpose for which they had been stopped.

But the question that had yet to be answered was whether or not it was for good or ill.

Lily knew though she was the best chance for all of them getting out alive.

She tore her eyes quickly from the grey haired grey eyed man staring at her and assessed the number of men there were descending to know how much of a treat they possessed.

It was then that she became aware of that this entire party had their eyes focused on a single object as they came closer.

Her.

 _They want me,_ she realized with a start. _But whatever for? Do they know who I am? And if so, how?_

It was then that the words of the strange man in the green cloak came back to her from a few days earlier. He had somehow known her name and she had had no idea way.

This was the second strange occurrence and the result of the first had been the weapon she was now carrying on her back.  
And just then that strange weapon itself began to _burn._

Lily jerked slightly as if she had been stung and blinked for a few seconds in shock before reaching back behind her shoulder and gingerly touching the tip of the staff.

A second later she jerked her hand back when her fingers came into contact with that same metal that was hot and growing steadily hotter.

 _What is this?_ She thought in alarm.

She looked back at the strange armor clad man heading towards her, weapons at his back but not in hand….and then she suddenly had an idea.

So she pulled her horse to a stop.

"Lilian, what in the seven hells are you doing?" Brynden Tully demanded.

"Testing a theory Uncle," Lily said as she got down from her horse, hardly daring herself to believe she was doing this. "Don't worry."

"Don't worry?!" the older man hissed. "What in the seven hells are you doing girl?!"

But Lily had already begun walking towards the older man approaching her and she wasn't quite sure why she was doing it.  
There was a curious gravity all around her as if she were a magnet being drawn towards her corresponding half.

Perhaps it was the blade she was carrying, perhaps it was her own curiosity or perhaps it was a magic much stronger than she knew compelling her, but Lily couldn't have stopped her feet from moving or got back on the horse if she had tried.

Surprisingly enough, the man with the grey hair stopped walking the moment he reached the edge of the road.

His hands were held loosely at his sides and the weapons at his back remained untouched and when he stopped moving, everyone else on the rocks ceased to move as well.

It was as if they were one being moving in tandem which Lily supposed they had learned with the centuries of remaining hidden and constantly moving about among the rocks and crags and mountains of the Vale.

The movement behind her from her uncle at the rest of the party had ceased and Lily felt as if she might be able to cut the tension with a knife.

Finally the man spoke.

"You are Lilian Tully," he said and his voice was low and rough, some might say raspy but it had its own innate power as if he had spent the better part of his life speaking for others.

Instead if being intimidated however, the red head was fascinated.

"I am," she replied. "But how do you know my name?"

The man shrugged almost nonchalantly, "Old ways, old traditions."  
Lily frowned. "What does that mean?"

He was being maddeningly vague but also very calm. Lily had heard stories about the viciousness of the Mountain Clans when she was a child but she wasn't certain if she truly believed them.

It was all too easy to paint one group of people with a dark brush simply because of the sins of the past.

She would know.

"There is something I must give you," the man said and Lily blinked before her frown deepened. "What is it?"

He held out his hand and reluctantly the red head placed hers forward into which he placed a small round object.

It was only when she brought her hand close to her face that she realized what it was and her eyes widened in shock.

It was a small circular disk about the size of the middle of her palm and about half an inch thick. Engraved in the centre of it was a tree that could only be identified as a weirwood.

A chill stole over Lily then and she realized that the weapon at her back had ceased to burn and had turned cold all of a sudden.

A startled oath behind her caused her to look up and she blinked. When had that bank of clouds moved in? That hadn't been there a few moments ago.

It was almost as if a fine mist was creeping over the ground towards them like a snake preparing to strike and the air suddenly became very cold and damp like the sky had promised rain when a moment ago it was cool and sunny.

Something strange was going on her.

Lily turned back to the man who was watching her face intently. "Why did you give me this?"

"A message," he said in a low voice. "A message…and a warning."

"A warning?" Lily whispered back. "A warning for what?"

"You will soon know," he replied. "You have been marked. Our task is done."

"But – "

"Lilian!" the sharp voice of her uncle caught her attention and she reluctantly tore her gaze from him to turn back.

The Blackfish had gotten down off his horse with a hand on his sword and was looking at her with intent blue eyes. "Come, it is dangerous to be on the path with a fog bank like this moving in. We will not be able to tell how close we are to the cliffs."

Feeling torn, Lily glanced down one more time at the silver medallion before looking back up at the strange man from the Mountain Clans to demand more information.

And that was when the strangest thing of all occurred.

The moment Lily looked back to demand answers…she found she was alone.

There was a chorus of shouts and startled oaths from the men gathered in their company and Lily knew she hadn't been the only one to see the bizarre vanishing.

Every trace of the Mountain Clans that had been all around them along the path….was gone. It was almost as if they had faded away with the slowly incoming mist.

Ice slid up and down Lily's back and she trembled for a moment before tightening a fist around the silver medallion.

"Uncle," she called out in a halting voice. "Did you see that?"

"I saw it my lady," one of the other guards replied in a stunned and awed voice. "They just faded away on the misty air."

"Was it….Was it magic?" one of the other guards asked in a somewhat hollow voice.

"Magic is gone from this world," Brynden Tully replied but for once he didn't seem sure of himself in the way that Lily knew her stalwart uncle to be. The line seemed to be something he was saying because he had been told it all his life.

"Given what we've seen Uncle I don't think that's strictly true anymore," Lily muttered.

She glanced down at the silver medallion gently trailed her finger across the surface of the engraved tree and nearly flinched when she felt a slight tingle race up her arm as if a trickle of cold water had been run across it.

"Whatever the case," the Blackfish said, his voice returning to its familiar commanding tone. "We should leave this place. Enough mysticism has been had for one day."

Almost reluctantly Lily walked back to her horse but not before slipping the silver medallion into her pocket.

As she climbed onto her horse however she could feel her uncle's eyes on her saying clearly a message without words.

 _We will talk….and soon._

Ω

For Lily, the next few days passed as simply one long continuous silence.

She and her uncle never talked about what happened on the road with the Mountain Clan and how they had disappeared into the fog, but it hung in the air between them like a rain cloud ready to pour out at any moment.

The medallion that Lily had slipped into her pocket remained there for her to reach in and touch every so often just to make certain it hadn't disappeared.

What also hadn't disappeared were some of the words that the man had spoken to her.

 _You have been marked….._ what the bloody hell did that mean?

Those four words bounced around in her mind for those days on the road like an ancient echo or a clanging gong which continued to reverberate when struck.

Every so often Lily would feel her uncle's eyes on her but when she would look up at him his eyes were always facing forward.

There were things he wanted to say, she could feel it and yet how did one bring up a mystical meeting with a Mountain Clan that had faded from sight into the winds and in which a silver medallion changed hands.

You couldn't….so they didn't.

When they passed through one last cleft of rock on a crisp, cool but sunny day and Lily caught a glimpse of the Eyrie for the first time, she breathed and unconscious sigh of relief.

"Take a look Lilian," Brynden Tully said as he pulled his mount to a stop next to hers. "This is the ancestral seat of the Arryn of the Vale that they have held since the Andal invasion centuries ago."

It certainly was impressive.

Situated atop the massive stone spire known as the Giant's Lance sat a white castle that almost rose like a throne over the whole valley below.

There were seven slim white towers clustered around the outside of the keep and Lily knew they would serve as a defense should the Vale ever be attacked.

That was unlikely however as there was only one road the Vale could be reached by which they were riding on now.  
A single stone road jutted out over the valley which was resting atop a natural precipice that must have hung there for generations.

It was the only way to reach the keep and the only way to leave it.

Short of a dragon, the Eyrie could never be breached.

The white keep gleamed in the sunlight making it hard for Lily to take it in at times. She had a feeling that from the right vantage point that keep could be seen for miles in every direction.

In the back of her mind, the red head made a mental note to find a spot like that in the keep where she could see for miles in every direction.

On a clear day like this one she imagined it would be a stunning sight.

"You've been here before haven't you Uncle?" she asked.

"I have," the Blackfish replied. "Not often but I have. There have been times when I considered being the Knight of the Gate but it seems a rather boorish task that I think I will pass on."

Lily chuckled and then urged her horse after him and the rest of the guard to continue in single file on the High Road up to the keep.

Finally they entered the stone road over the precipice and Lily had to fight the urge to look down, certain it was going to make her dizzy.

A wind raced past them making an odd whistling sound as it dashed in and out of the rock crevices throughout the valley.

As Lily listened carefully she almost though it sounded like a wolf howling.

It was both eerie and beautiful.

Her face must have born a curious expression because her uncle chuckled next to her. "It's something to get used to. When I was first here I awakened sometime in the night and that was the only sound I heard all across the valley. It took me a long time to get back to sleep after."

"I should say so," Lily muttered. "I imagine the Arryns have gotten used to it after all the years of living in this place."

The wind howled again and she pulled the hood of her cloak up to block it and secured the garment with the pin of a silver fish.

"The view certainly is impressive," she said. "But somehow I thought the keep itself would look bigger. Different expectations I suppose."

Her uncle didn't reply for a moment. "Its supposed to be a sort of nest in the sky, impenetrable from all land based foes. That may very well be why the Targaryens have been the only one to conquer it since the Andal invasion."

"No one could very well conquer it now though," Lily replied thoughtfully. "There aren't any more dragons."

"And thank goodness for that," The Blackfish muttered before he spurred his horse into action to follow his men. "Come along Lilian. I am certain that Lord Arryn is waiting."

No more was said as the small company continued their journey over the stone bridge and guided their horses up the steep steps of the High Road towards the Eyrie.

In some places Lily truly felt sorry for her horse and made a mental note to herself to rub him down and make certain he was comfortable after the long ride and this climb.

All other times her head was craned back as she took in the Eyrie which seemed to grow bigger the closer they got to it.

The seven white towers seemed even more ivory colored in the light and Lily imagined them to be quite beautiful for a moment.

And then a stiff grim wind blew in across the open valley and she gritted her teeth. Merlin, that breeze cut like a knife.

She imagined that after living there for her entire life she might be used to it. After all she had gotten used to the bitter cold winds that blew down from the mountains and out across the Black Lake at Hogwarts.

Her throat tightened slightly at the memory of studying down by the water under that special tree that she had loved so much, looking up at the stars and the passing clouds and looking out over the water and talking as she had done with her friends after exams.

Now there was none of that.

 _Merlin, there are times when I really miss exams. Vyman's verbal tests really aren't enough._

As they neared the main gates of the Eyrie there was a shout from above and Brynden roared back a response which startled Lily out of her reverie.

A moment later there was a deep grinding sound and the massive iron gates swung open like a giant's arms to welcome them in.

The whole place was like a castle in the clouds and Lily thought with a short smile that this keep would have been good inspiration for a Jack in the Beanstalk movie.

She and her uncle clattered through the doors and into a stone courtyard with the rest of their guard to shouts all around them as groomsmen hurried forward to take command of the horses.  
Lily looked around from under the privacy of the hood still atop her head.

The courtyard wasn't large but it wasn't small either and was made of white stone as stark as the rocks which made up the towers that surrounded them.

Off to the right there was a path which Lily assumed led to the stables and to the left there was another large door which must have led to the inner sanctum of the keep.

"Ser Brynden!"

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Lily's head whipped around and her eyes took in a new man in Arryn blue striding towards them. He appeared too old to be the nephew of Lord Arryn but too young to be Lord Arryn himself.

Her uncle seemed to know who he was however for he gave a wolfish grin and fair nearly jumped off his horse.

"Nestor Royce," he bellowed and clasped hands with the other man as he came to a stop in front of him. "I haven't seen your face in a damn age!"

"I hardly think it was that long Ser," the man replied with a chuckle. He had brown hair and brown eyes which Lily noticed when she took a good long look at him. There were lines around his eyes indicating that he smiled a lot and a deeply tanned face making her think he spent a lot of time under the sun.

"Well your hair was not this grey when I saw it last," Brynden guffawed. "Jon working you that hard then?"

"No Ser," Nestor replied. "But the Vale does have her tiresome moments."

"More than a few I dare say," The Blackfish muttered before turning to Lily who had dismounted from her horse. "Niece, I would like to introduce you to someone."

"I believe I heard his name uncle," the red head said with amusement evident in her tone. "Who couldn't with you bellowing it around the courtyard?"

The Blackfish barked out a laugh and then turned to Royce. "Very well then, I will do this in the opposite manner. Nestor Royce, I would like to introduce you to my niece Lilian Tully, my brother's youngest daughter."

Lily smiled and pulled down the hood of her cloak so the steward wouldn't see a shadowed face any longer. "It's very nice to meet you sir."

"Likewise my lady," the steward said giving her a warm smile before turning back to Brynden. "You made good time. We were not expecting you for a few hours more. Lord Arryn wishes me to apologize. He was called away on some unexpected business and should return in an hour or two with his nephew and two wards. In the meantime, the Eyrie is at your disposal."

Lily gave the other man a brief smile, feeling a little relieved that she wouldn't have to play the role of lady for a few more hours. Right now she wanted a bath, something to eat and a short nap to get rid of the travel weariness she knew was clinging to her like a subtle fog.

She wanted to be alone with her thoughts as well. The appearance of the Mountain Clans before them had rattled her more than she wanted to admit.

The silver medallion that had been given to her was still in her pocket and seemed extremely heavy.

She wanted a better look at it but she also didn't want to do it when everyone else was around.

That encounter, even though she had experienced it with others around her felt extremely personal and almost raw.

Now she had two things to contemplate….the staff and the stone.

And something told her she would need to figure out the meaning of both soon.  
As the steward of the Eyrie barked orders at the groomsmen to take charge of their horses, Lily and her uncle followed him through the large doors of the white castle and down a long hallway towards what she assumed to be the main hallway.

The floors and walls were pale and in places veined with fragments of blue stone. It was rather pretty in Lily's opinion and she was able to lose her deeper thoughts with appreciation for the scenery.

Torches lined the walls but they were not burning as it was not yet night. On either side of each torch was a pillar in the same white stone veined with webs of blue.

Every so often they would pass a tall window which afforded Lily a glimpse of the mountainous country that surrounded the Eyrie.

The entire color palate was awash in shades of white, blue, grey, brown and the odd patch of green in some places yet the first two were overwhelmingly apparent.

 _No wonder the colors of House Arryn are blue and white. I won't ever understand why green wasn't a part of our banner when its all we're surrounded by in the Riverlands. What does red have to do with our home?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when a tall archway appeared ahead of them and she followed her uncle into a rather large hall that was lined with long white tables on either side of the room.

At the front there was a pair of steps that led up to yet another white table that had an ancient looking white chair made of weirwood sitting at its center.

The hall was lined with the same tall windows that lined the hallway which allowed a near perfect view of the mountains around them.

On a clear day like today Lily imagined she would have been able to see for miles in every direction.

"The high hall Ser, my lady," Nestor Royce explained. "When Lord Arryn returns in a few hours he will sup with you here."

Lily nodded and then allowed the words of her uncle and Nestor's conversation fade into the background as she wandered towards one of the windows to look outside.

Like she had suspected, the view was spectacular and off in the distance atop the mountains it looked as if she could see falcons circling, wings wind just wafting on the afternoon breeze.

Appropriate.

She could still feel the weight of the medallion in her pocket and absently she reached her fingers down into her pocket feeling the top of the rounded surface.

Her fingers tingled as she ran her hand over it and it was only when she heard her uncle calling her name that she jerked her hand out and turned to him.

"Yes Uncle?" she asked.

"We are about to be shown to our rooms," He said giving her an odd look as if he had called her more than once.

"Coming," she replied.

But as they were shown out of the high hall, Lily could feel her uncle's eyes on her and she had a feeling that that conversation he intended to have with her would happen before the day was out.

Ω

Not long after she had found her guest chambers and had a long hot bath to get rid of the stench of travel did Lily hear the sound of a knock on her door.

She had exchanged her riding clothes for a simple blue dress with long sleeves and a scooped neck before leaving her hair in its long red curls.

Sometimes it was nice to wear pretty things and sometimes it was nice to simply run around dressed in a tunic and trousers. She liked to think she was versatile that way.

She had been sitting in the rather large window seat writing a letter to Lysa who had no doubt arrived at the capital by now when she heard the intrusion.

"Come," she called.

A moment later the door opened to reveal the only person it would make sense to see.

"Hello Uncle Brynden," she said with a cheery smile as the auburn haired man came through the door.

He too had changed his clothes to a dark blue tunic and trousers tucked into brown boots. His hair was tousled as well betraying that he too had bathed to rid himself of the stink of travel.

He wasn't carrying his sword and there was no cloak about his shoulders but Lily could see the long dagger he usually kept concealed on his person strapped to his belt in plain sight.

One thing she had learned about sparring with her uncle throughout the years was that he always had a trick up his sleeve and he didn't take it easy on anyone he was sparring with, practice or otherwise.

She remembered a time two years ago when Lily thought a squire might have gotten lucky in one of his bouts with him and somehow gotten the sword out of her uncle's hand.

It was an incredibly fortunate shot made mostly from desperation rather than skill but in the blink of an eye the same blade her uncle was carrying was in his hands and at the throat of the squire as if he had never been disarmed at all.

"Hello child," he said. "Lord Arryn's banners have been spotted. I thought perhaps it might be a good idea to go to the High Hall to greet him."

"That's a good idea," Lily replied setting her quill and parchment aside.

"Who are you writing to?" Brynden asked as he sat down opposite her.

"Lysa," Lily replied. "No doubt they have all arrived in the capital by now and I wanted to see how Axel was."

"A prudent idea," the Blackfish replied.

It was then that he glanced down at the cushions on the window seat where the medallion was resting.

Lily had taken it out of her pocket and placed it there when she went to have her bath and hadn't as yet returned it to her things.

As soon as the silence fell, the red head had a feeling that that conversation would be coming now.

Slowly, almost as if he were afraid of it, the Blackfish reached down and touched the tree carved into the face of the odd flat stone.

Lily carefully watched his face, trying to come up with something to say to make the silence seem a little less heavy.

But her uncle beat her to it.

"I've seen a lot of strange things traveling back and forth across this country," he said finally. "But being confronted by a veritable herd of Mountain Clansmen who didn't attack is something I have never seen before."

"It will certainly be quite a story," was all Lily said.

"One that I would not wish to repeat any time soon," Brynden Tully replied. "After all who would believe us?"

"Lord Arryn?"

"Perhaps, but I would not wish to impart this knowledge yet until _I_ know what it all means."

"He," Lily faltered for a moment and swallowed hard before continuing. "He said…that it was a message."

One of her uncle's eyebrows rose so high it threatened to disappear into his hairline. "A message for what?"

"I asked," Lily replied. "but he wouldn't tell me. And then he said something else?"

"What?"  
"He said….well he said it was a warning….and that I had been marked."

Her uncle's eyes widened. "Marked? Marked by what?"

"By this," Lily said holding up the medallion. "And I think the fact that I have it means something. I don't know what though."

Her uncle sighed and ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "I don't suppose we could simply write this all off as a trick of the mist?"

Lily chuckled. "There's far too much physical evidence otherwise."

Her uncle didn't laugh with her, in fact he seemed to become even more serious. "In that regard Lilian, I would tell no one of this encounter, not your siblings, not your father, not Petyr, no one. We don't know what this means and such an encounter, should it be revealed to more than the necessary people could spark….controversy in the Vale."

Lily narrowed her eyes at the older man. "What sort of possible controversy could this create?"

"You are of the Riverlands, the men we encountered are of the Vale. Your acceptance of this medallion could be taken to mean that you support the ongoing conflict between the Mountain Clans, the First Men of the Vale and those who count themselves Andal. The last thing we need is more armed conflict in the East."

Lily grimaced slightly. "They wouldn't take whatever this was that seriously would they?"

Her uncle uttered a bitter laugh. "I don't know what people would do or say and the last thing I wish to do is engage House Tully in a conflict with House Arryn, especially if your father has a marriage alliance in mind with them."

Lily snorted. "I wouldn't worry about that too much Uncle Brynden. Father is already set to claim the north and the west, what does he need the east for?"

Brynden Tully's answering chuckle was almost dark in tone. "When it comes to men like your father and Tywin Lannister and Aerys Targaryen Lilian, there is no such thing as too much power."

An ominous silence filled the chamber for a moment and Lily felt a chill rise on her skin.

It was darkly humorous the staying power that the words of Tom Riddle had in this life.

 _There is no such thing as good or evil….there is only power and those too weak to seize it._

It was also in that moment that she realized how different her father and her uncle were and perhaps that was why they had split ties all those years ago that had strained their relationship forever.

Brynden wasn't interested in power but Hoster was.

"Do you think you would have been different had you been born first and he had been the second son?" she asked curiously.

Brynden rubbed the side of his face wryly and uttered a deep exhalation that seemed to come from the pit of his stomach. "I have thought of that myself. Were you all my children I would like to think I would let you marry whoever you wanted but I cannot say with absolute certainty that that would be true. Power is a seductive mistress and its lure is difficult to resist."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Lily said cocking her head to one side.

"Not at all," the Blackfish replied. "Power is not a bad thing. But it's a burden, not a right and those who have it must acknowledge that, otherwise you will end up with kings like Aerys Targaryen. Power can lead to the greatest downfalls in the world and the greatest victories. But it depends upon the right people. The right king and queen could lead this realm into the greatest golden age it has ever seen or they could lead it into a dark age."

"Aerys Targaryen seems as if he is testing that theory if the rumors we have heard are true," Lily muttered and her uncle chuckled.

"Don't say that too loudly. Even now where we are, far away from the capital, stranger things have happened."

He didn't know that Lily had placed silencing charms around her room so no one would hear whatever was spoken inside.

At the thought of that, the red head remembered the heavy issue of her magic and that this trip might be the perfect time to tell her uncle what and who she truly was.

And she had just opened her mouth to do so when there was another knock on the door.

"Come!" Brynden Tully barked as he got to his feet.

A servant in Arryn colors pushed the door open and bowed a second later when he saw the both of them together. "Your pardon ser, my lady. But Lord Arryn and his retinue have just arrived and are awaiting you in the High Hall."

"That was damn fast," Brynden muttered under his breath and then turned back to the servant to thank him.

"There goes my hopes for a peaceful evening," Lily muttered as she got to her feet after the servant had left. "I'll be the only girl amongst a gaggle of boys. I certainly hope some of them are conversationalists or this is going to be a _very_ long night."

"You might be out of luck then niece," Brynden Tully chuckled as they headed for the door. "From what I hear Robert Baratheon lets his fists and hammer talk most of the time and Eddard Stark hardly speaks at all. You may have not wished for a marriage proposal to come out of this but if Elbert Arryn turns out to be the best conversationalist amongst these three young men, you might just like him despite your intentions."

"Perish the thought," Lily muttered.

The servant led the both of them down the long hallway back the way they had come from the High Hall an hour or so earlier in silence.

Lily's mind was far away on the medallion that she had secured in her chambers but it didn't remain so for long.

In the back of her mind she was thinking about Lysa and the unfinished letter sitting on the window seat in her chambers.

She wondered how things were going for her in the capital and whether or not Petyr had noticed her as yet.

The red head wasn't really sure how she felt about her sister and her best friend potentially becoming romantic especially given her father's aspirations about an alliance between the west and the Riverlands, but more importantly because Petyr had never shown favor to Lysa in that regard.

She just didn't want her sister getting hurt if Petyr didn't feel the same way.

In the back of Lily's mind though she had a sinking suspicion that this wasn't going to end well for anyone involved and that made her nervous.

For a moment she was glad that she hadn't gone with the rest of her family to the capital if anything to avoid the drama that was sure to happen despite a positive or negative outcome.

She had always hated drama, her relationship with James had been simple and sweet, the result of a straightforward pursuit that neither of them had been unhappy with.

The red head cast her eyes up to the ceiling as she continued to follow her uncle. _Please for the love of Merlin don't let Lysa get hurt. She's so sensitive already and I have a feeling that my speech to her in my room is going to have to be repeated many times more before she believes it. And please if Petyr does not feel the same way, please for the love of anything let him handle it well so her feelings won't be hurt more than necessary._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices up ahead and she glanced forward to see that they had come in sight of the High Hall.

A chorus of voices could be heard coming through that archway and Lily pricked her ears to see if she could ascertain who was speaking by their voice.

There was a deep raspy almost world worn sounding tone that made her think that had to be Lord Arryn. No young man would have such a tone to their voice unless they had seen a great many things.

And then if possible there was a deep booming laugh that followed it which could have belonged to Robert Baratheon or Elbert Arryn.

Finally there was a quiet calibre asking a question and Lily had a feeling that the owner of that voice would be Eddard Stark who was known for his contemplative nature, at least from what she had heard.

The servant walked into the room first and Lily could see him bow first and the voices fell silent.

"My Lord Arryn, Ser Brynden Tully and Lady Lilian Tully the third daughter of Lord Hoster Tully."

It was a lot of pomp for what should have been a simple introduction and Lily suppressed an eye roll as she strode behind her uncle into the hall.

Her first view of the four men standing in the room was one of varied interest. In fact, you wouldn't find a collection of more different men.

Her eyes landed on the eldest, Lord Arryn himself who still retained the blonde hair of his youth but which was fading slightly with age. His eyes were still a deep blue however and were not clouded. There were lines around his eyes and mouth indicating that he smiled frequently and he was quite tall, dressed in Arryn blue with his riding glove still grasped in one hand and the other on the pommel of his sword.

She could tell that he had been a handsome man once and still retained that, aging gracefully.

The young man standing next to him was so alike in face and appearance that for a moment Lily thought this was his son rather than his nephew. Elbert Arryn appeared the quintessential golden child with his fair hair, strands of it just touching his forehead at a disgustingly perfect angle. His eyes were just the shade of blue that Lily knew would make the girls back at school swoon if they had seen them. He wasn't quite as tall as his uncle but at only a few centimetres shorter, he did cut a striking figure.

The man beside him was the polar opposite and of the men standing in the room, he was the tallest.

Check that, he was enormous. Lily was certain he was at least six foot three perhaps more. He had a snarl of black curls atop his head and his eyes were the most electric blue that Lily had ever seen. His skin was tanned while the rest were fair and there was a smattering of stubble on his cheeks and chin. His body was like that of knife blade, hard and lean and his hulking shoulders filled his tunic to the point Lily thought they would burst through.

Perhaps this was the sort of man that dominated many a maiden's fantasy as it wasn't just his body that drew attention but his face as well. His chiselled and perfectly symmetrical to the point that Lily didn't think it could get anymore perfect.

He was dressed in black which made his form even more striking and it made his stunning blue eyes seem even more prominent.

The one thing she wasn't sure she liked was the smug little smile on his face when he looked at her.

And finally the fourth man in the room had to have been Eddard Stark as he certain had a northern bearing. He was the only one who was wearing leathers and judging by the colors of grey and white on them, she had been correct.

He was not nearly as attractive as the others but he certainly wasn't unappealing either. His calm grey eyes took her in and Lily had a feeling he was assessing her from a contemplative nature that had been honed over the last few years.

There was caution in those eyes, a caution born out of the north a place where one had to be careful about everything one did as it might cost one his or her life otherwise.

"Brynden Tully!" Jon Arryn barked striding forward so that he might clasp arms with her uncle. "I haven't seen your face in a damn age man!"

"It _must_ have been an age, you certainly look it," Brynden joked back prompting Lord Arryn to release a bellow of laughter.

Lily smirked as she watched the two men interacting. Her uncle hadn't told her much about his relationship with the Lord of Eyrie, but seeing as how he was well liked by almost everyone he met, she would have been surprised if they hadn't been at least friendly.

After the raucous niceties were out of the way Brynden turned to her. "Might I introduce my youngest niece, Lilian Tully."

At that, Lily stepped forward and curtsied to Lord Arryn with a smile who returned it with a courtly bow. "My lady, its been a long time since we welcomed the presence of a noble lady to the Eyrie."

Lily cast her gaze quickly at the three young men standing behind him and then smirked up at Lord Arryn. "I can see that."

He gave her a small smile as he recognized the joke in her tone and stepped back so the other three could come forward. "My nephew Elbert."

Lily smiled up at the young man who was three years older than her. He had the build and reminded her of the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team when she was still at Hogwarts. He certainly had the same golden good looks. "Its wonderful to meet you my lord."

He gave her a genuine smile in return. "And you my lady."

Next stepped forward the quiet brown haired man with the grey eyes that Lily knew she would be calling family in the next few years.

"My ward Eddard Stark," Jon Arryn said with a tinge of pride in his voice as he clapped the youth's shoulder.

His expression was grave as he bowed to her and Lily certainly hoped he wasn't that serious all the time. You needed to smile and laugh every once in a blue moon.

"My lady," he said quietly and she curtsied before looking at his face and cocking her head to one side.

It was then that she decided to try and break the ice with him if his brother was going to marry her sister.

"Are all men of the north this serious Lord Eddard or is it just you?" she asked in a falsely serious tone.

From the way his eyes widened and he blinked slightly he hadn't been expecting it.

There was a moment of silence in the High Hall until Lily smiled and began to chuckle. "It was a joke my lord, you're supposed to laugh. I see that I am going to have my work cut out for me with you while I'm here."

Tentatively Eddard gave her a small smile and Lily took it as a tiny victory.

Until of course the monster of a youth behind him let out a bellowing laugh and leaned forward. "Don't mind Ned. He always did have a stick up his arse."

"And of course my other wayward ward Robert Baratheon," Jon Arryn finished with a long suffering sigh.

The dark haired man grinned at her and Lily felt her heart skip a beat to her extreme annoyance. She had never been swayed by a pretty face before, but Robert Baratheon certainly wasn't pretty.

He looked less like a knight out of the stories and more like one of those brutal warriors she had read about in the history books in her first life, one who was interesting in victory and battlefield glory. His black hair and short beard made him appear even fiercer and his electric blue eyes added an air of intimidation.

He was only seventeen but Lily felt he looked almost twenty years of age.

Elbert laughed and slapped the dark haired youth on the shoulder. "You'll get to know Robert soon enough my lady. His crudeness makes him endearing."

Robert winked at her and Lily suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. He seemed a jokester just like many of the boys she had known in her previous life.

Jon Arryn cleared his throat and took command of the situation again. "Ser Brynden and I have matters pertaining to the Vale to discuss, so in the meantime why don't the three of you show Lady Lilian around?"

"An excellent suggestion," Elbert Arryn replied cheerily. "Come along my lady. We will show you the beauteous nature of the Vale, by far the most stunning of the Seven Kingdoms."

"I think the Riverlands would have something to say about that," Lily shot back in an amused tone as the four of them bade goodbye to Brynden and Jon and headed for the door.

"Oh you're both mental," Robert said in his deep booming voice as they strode down the hallway. "There is no place more beautiful than the Stormlands!"

"There's no place louder than the Stormlands," Eddard muttered prompting Lily to flash a grin at him.

"So what brings you to the Vale my lady?" Elbert asked amiably as they strode along.

Lily sighed. "Would you believe it if I said I just didn't want to go to the royal wedding?"

Robert let out a booming laugh. "Oho! A southern flower that doesn't want to show off her petals? I find that hard to believe!"

Lily cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes at him. "This flower happens to have thorns."

With a flick of the wrist she had loosened the strap of the blade she had hidden in her sleeve and yanked it out.

From the way the three of them blinked and paused, they hadn't seen where she had gotten the dagger and she grinned. "Now are you going to show me the most interesting part of this place where I can use this or do I have to find it myself?"

Elbert looked confused. "You wish to see the sparring grounds my lady?"

At the same time Robert asked, "You know how to fight?"

Lily scoffed at him. "My uncle is the Blackfish who fought in the War of the Nine Penny kings. He put a blade in my hands when I was six years old and told me to use it. Of course I know how to fight!"

"Well then!" Elbert said clapping his hands together and grinning savagely. "This visit just got a lot more interesting. This way my lady. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I'm intrigued."

"A woman who knows how to fight," Robert snorted as he followed them. "That's a first."

"And hopefully won't be the last," Lily muttered casting her eyes at the handsome youth. "Now how eager are you to wind up flat on your back with one of these at your throat?"

She was half joking but Robert merely laughed again and raised an eyebrow at her. "Take away the sword and I'll be quite interested."

"Robert!" Eddard hissed looking around for someone to hear them.

"And that my lady is what you are in for during your stay in the Eyrie," Elbert Arryn said with a laugh, "I certainly hope you have thick skin because there is no containing Robert here."

"Don't worry," Lily said with a snort as they continued down the hallway. "I have thicker skin than most."

Ω

 **There will be more shenanigans to ensue going forward. So both Robert, Elbert and Ned are three years older than Lily who is fourteen right now. Now Lily and Robert aren't going to necessarily be friends, but Lily gives as good as she gets so she isn't intimidated by him like maybe some other girls would be and Robert is going to find that intriguing. However they will have a _ton_ of stuff as well as a few years to get through before they get romantic, so brace yourself. This is going to be a slow burn romance. Also in terms character portrayals, I envision a young Sean Bean as Ned because that's who played him in the show, I'm not sure about Elbert but Robert of course is going to look like Henry Cavill as he was playing Charles Brandon in the Tudors hehehehe. Because I think he is just that delicious 😋 I think Cavill is a perfect choice to play a young Robert. For those of you who don't know how he looked in that show, go look him up. I promise you won't be disappointed. 😏 Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It certainly was strange being the only female amongst a crop of males.

For most of her second life, Lily had been surrounded by her sisters and her mother. It wasn't until Ed and Axel came around that she was more exposed to the opposite sex. The Petyr had arrived and she had had so many playmates that she hadn't known what to do with herself.

That certainly didn't seem to be the case here though.

Lord Arryn ruled the Vale with a fair but firm hand and the red head could tell he expected the same from each of his charges. Lily had watched quietly from the shadows of the High Hall with her uncle while he had seen to the needs and complaints of each minor lord, each villager, each farmer, and each guard that had come to him.

Needless to say she had been very impressed.

In a way, Jon Arryn reminded her of a much younger version of Albus Dumbledore. Hogwarts had all but been the kingdom of the white haired and bearded supreme Mugwump and she did remember with fondness her time spent in his office after exams in her final year of school just talking with him about the future.

Naturally she didn't know the Lord of the Vale well enough for such pleasantries but she was hopeful that the trip itself would be essential for good communication and perhaps friendship between the Riverlands and the Vale in the future.

His nephew Elbert was certainly one to watch as well as he took after his uncle in word and deed immensely. He was soft spoken, gentle, communicative and fair but damn near deadly with a sword as she had seen.

Her first day in the Vale had been spent touring the place and she had seen the training grounds where numerous knights and guardsmen were dancing back and forth with blades in their hands.

At the sight of a lady many of the bouts had stopped and bows were exchanged causing Lily to smile.

She hadn't fought on that specific day as she was still wearing a dress and if there was one thing that didn't mix, it was a blade and a skirt.

So she swallowed her disappointment and decided that another time would perhaps be better.

In the meantime, she allowed the three boys, two heirs apparent and one second son to lead her around the Eyrie.

It was small but she could see its natural defenses right away. As she had thought earlier, none but a dragon would have been able to conquer the Eyrie. It was completely impenetrable otherwise.

All of the white stone made her eyes hurt in the midday sun but when the sun was setting or rising of which she had a perfect few of the former from the window of her room, it was really quite beautiful.

Her uncle Brynden seemed to come alive in this place as he often did when her father wasn't around and not for the first time did the red head wonder how deep the hurts were still between them.

What had been so important that her uncle had decided that their house words didn't mean as much?

And then she wondered how right could one be when one was serving one's own conscience. Had her uncle been serving his conscience all those years ago or had he been acting for the good of the Riverlands.

She supposed she would never know.

And speaking of things she couldn't figure out, there was one member of the Eyrie who seemed to be doing his utmost to confuse her.

Robert Baratheon, the eldest son of the late Steffon Baratheon seemed to possess an ability to either amuse or frustrate all those around him.

Lily hadn't known him long enough to decide how she felt, but she had a feeling she would before they left the east.

Her opinion on his looks was a non factor as Lily was far too used to judging someone based on their heart.

After all James Potter had been arguably one of the best looking boys at Hogwarts alongside Sirius Black and she had hated him at first.

In many ways though, Robert reminded her less and less of James and more of his mongrel best friend the more time she spent around him.

Sirius Black possessed a curious personality where Lily had never known if she wanted to laugh or roll her eyes and hit him.

He had been a ladies man through and through and his movie star good looks had certainly made it easy to see why.

Lily lost count of the number of broken hearts the Black heir had left in his wake and she had had to personally step in and warn him off one of her best friends Alice Longbottom as she had seen him eyeing her.

The red head smirked as she remembered how she had cornered Sirius one day after she had caught him following Alice and threatened to use a complicated spell that she had invented to remove his manhood if he didn't leave her best friend alone.

It was the one time the far too charismatic Black had had nothing to say and Lily had flounced off.

In all actuality no spell existed but seeing as how she had the top grades in her class and had been in the pool of top five students at Hogwarts since her first year, she didn't think he would have any reason to disbelieve her.

And it was better if he didn't know.

Robert Baratheon reminded her very much of Sirius Black.

That was a little bit worrying but at the same time, Lily also knew she wasn't going to be saddled with the heir to Storm's End.

Apparently that honor had gone to Ned Stark's youngest and only sister Lyanna whom her father had brokered an agreement with to make connections further south.

Lyanna was the same age as Lily as far as she knew and the knowledge of this made the red head cringe. It hit a little too close to home for her knowing that any day now her father might have selected someone for her to marry in a few years time.

But then she reminded herself that Lyanna didn't have any older sisters and she did. Hoster Tully would be far more concerned with marrying them off first to worry about her for a few more years.

But for the only daughter of the largest territory in Westeros, it seemed that there would be no escape.

And to end up with someone like Baratheon….Lily bit the inside of her lip as she snuck a side glance at him.

While he didn't lack at all in the looks department, she was more interested in his mind and heart. Would he be the sort of husband and lord that could be loved, admired and praised by the commoners? Or would he simply be another drunk lazy dullard obsessed with war, women and wine?

She certainly hoped it wasn't the latter because Lyanna Stark would be in for a very long rough marriage if that was the case.

In the meantime, she cast her eyes to Elbert Arryn and briefly considered what it would be like to spend her time with him.

He certainly was attractive and possessed level head qualities she could get behind. She would like to spend more time with him in order to know for sure, but given a few more years, it was possible that she might be able to see herself with someone like him.

Thinking such thoughts made her feel guilty as James' face would swim before her eyes. She knew she had to let him go, but it was still hard.

But whenever that would happen she would just distract herself with reading and turning over the silver medallion she had gotten on the journey in her hand.

That piece was an anomaly in and of itself. She still had no idea what it meant and it was driving her crazy turning the possibilities over and over in her mind.

Although the more she pondered it, Lily had a feeling she wasn't going to ascertain the true meaning of it on this trip.

She absently wondered what Petyr would think of the whole experience had he been there. She contemplated writing a letter to him about it but then dismissed the idea because it had been so outlandish she wasn't sure he would believe her.

Also the information was of a peculiarly sensitive nature and she would be sending it to the capital where god's knew how many eyes would see it before Petyr's. After that she thought about warding the letter so no hands would touch it but her friends'. Finally however she settled on simply speaking to him in person. Petyr had as sharp a mind as any she had ever seen, perhaps this would convince him that there were mystical forces in this world.

It might also be a good introduction to her magic. Her best friend had been so adamant that there was no such thing as magic that he was in for a great shock when he would be proven wrong.

Every evening after the supper, her Uncle and Lord Arryn would retire to his solar to speak about Merlin knew what and Lily and the three boys would be on their own.

Well Robert wasn't much for conversation and sitting still for long and so no more than a half of an hour later he would stride from the High Hall. Sometimes Ned would follow him and other times he would remain.

On this particular evening, he left with his friend and Lily was left alone with Elbert Arryn.

Of the three young men, she liked him the most as he was the most personable and serene. It seemed very little fazed him but he possessed the same high degree of honour as his Uncle.

It was in their house words after all.

While Ned was very nice, he was a little too quiet and Robert was certainly the sun to his moon.

Elbert she enjoyed talking to whilst Robert would talk about nothing and everything all at once whereas Ned wouldn't talk at all.

So that evening found the both of them settled before the fire in the High Hall in comfortable chairs. Lily had one of the books she had brought with her settled in her lap which she was thumbing through and Elbert was reading a letter.

The sun had just gone down and the night sky was full of crisp diamond like stars that twinkled in glorious succession.

Lily had never seen such stars even on the clearest night from the tallest tower in Riverrun. Every so often she would look up and catch sight of them which would in turn distract her for long enough so that she would forget which page of her book she was on and have to flip back again.

This must have gone on for some time as Lily didn't realize she had an audience until Elbert spoke up.

"Are you alright Lady Lily?" He asked and the red head glanced up to find the blonde watching her with one eyebrow raised.

She blinked and glanced down at the page grasped between her thumb and forefinger realizing with chagrin that she had absently torn it.

"Fine," she said as she cast her eyes back to the window. "It's just….I don't think I've ever seen stars like this before. It's so much clearer here than in the Riverlands. There the best features are the rivers and the woods. The sky doesn't draw so much attention there."

"Then you have not spent enough time looking at it," Elbert said with a smile. "My Uncle told me when I was a boy that every so often I should look to the stars because they reminded a man to never be too arrogant. He says that they were there long before he or I were and will be long after we're gone. He says they remind a man that he is not immortal."

"Lord Arryn is a very wise man," Lily observed.

"He is," Elbert said thoughtfully. "He's been the father I needed after my own died."

He said this with a tinge of sadness in his voice that made Lily feel a stab of pity for him.

She remembered something that her uncle had told her on the journey to the Vale about Lord Elbert being born just as his father Lord Ronnel was dying and soon after being made his heir.

She also wondered what it would be like to never know ones father or mother and cringed at the thought. Her first parents were gone and so was her mother in this world but at least she had had the pleasure to know them.

The red head thought about what Petyr had said to her after her mother's funeral about it being better to know ones parents even if they died rather than not knowing them at all.

She wondered if Elbert suffered from the same sense of displacement that Petyr did but decided she would not ask as it was not her business.

But before she could think of something that was appropriate to say, her companion beat her to it.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

"Oh," Lily said holding up the book so he could see the cover. "It's a history of the First Men of the South."

Elbert's eyes narrowed slightly. "An interest choice. Why that topic if I may ask?"

Lily smiled. "I know that the Andals populate the south most heavily but I am very curious about the population of First Men here."

Elbert's face darkened slightly. "We have had many a problem with the First Men here in the Vale."

Lily nodded, her mind going instantly back to that misty passage way and the weight of the flat stone pressed into her hand.

"Yes I had heard that," she said quietly.

Elbert sighed and got to his feet so that he might stand in front of the fire with his hands folded behind his back. "I can't exactly blame them. The Andals did disrupt their way of life. Sometimes I wonder what life might have been like if we could have coexisted peacefully with the First Men."

"You have in some ways," Lily pointed out glancing once more out the window. "House Royce has bent the knee and aren't they the oldest of those who claim descent from the First Men?"

"They are," Elbert replied running a hand through his blonde hair, "But though they have sworn allegiance to the Arryn of the Vale, there are times when the Royce's of Runestone are….mysterious."

Lily frowned. "In what way?"

"It's rather difficult to describe," the heir to the Vale replied. "But my Uncle once traveled there to conduct business with Lord Royce and he returned with strange tales of corridors that only members of the Royce family could traverse, strange glowing lights and otherworldly voices that would whistle past his window at night and then mimic the howling of the wind next. I wasn't sure what to make of his tale when he told it to me other than to suggest that we keep an absent eye on House Royce for the future."

Lily pursued her lips. That did sound strange, almost like Runestone was a place of strange magic. She made a mental note to read up on the place in the future. It seemed that pockets of magic were appearing all over Westeros.

Whether that was good or bad news for her…well that remained to be seen. So far the trip to the Vale had proven interesting and informative.

"Do you suspect treachery?" She asked finally after a long silence.

"Not at all," Elbert said easily. "House Royce is as loyal as they come yet things that are unknown and unpredictable tend to make my Uncle wary."

"Your Uncle certainly seems to be a good judge of character," Lily said amiably and Elbert smiled. "Well he chose your Uncle for a friend, and I can certainly see why."

Lily laughed. "I don't know the history of their relationship but on the journey here I did hear a few stories about their adventures so to speak in the war of the Nine Penny Kings."

"Ah like the tale of how they were penned in by warriors of the Golden Company and were pressed for space they had to fight back to back for a solid ten moments before they were able to cut a way out?" Elbert asked. "When I was a boy I heard that story many times, I think I liked it so much just for the sense of awe it gave me. Children always idolize adults don't they?"

Lily chuckled. "They do, and sometimes it carries on into adulthood without anyone realizing it."

Elbert looked at her for a long moment before he sat back down and pressed his fingers into a tent over his knees. "May I ask you something Lady Lilian?"

The red head frowned. "Of course."

"Why did you choose to delay your trip to the capital for the royal wedding and accompany Ser Brynden here instead?"

Lily sighed in what she imagined was a long suffering manner. "I would hope that I have demonstrated in the last few days that I am not the sort of person who is a typical lady. I have nothing against weddings or royal engagements but what I do dislike are the political games that are played at these sorts of things. Each lord and lady tries to gain an upper hand on the other with snide remarks and quiet japes and by the time the events are over very little has been lost or gained other than wasted words and time. I find the entirety of it exhausting and I was hoping to avoid it for as long as I possibly could."

Elbert blinked at the father long winded explanation and then a curious grin broke out over his handsome face.

Lily frowned. "What is it?"

"Nothing," the heir to the Vale said with a laugh. "Its just that explanation reminded me quite a bit of Robert although he wouldn't have been so eloquent about it."

An image of the giant of a young man flashed in Lily's mind and she blinked wondering whether to be amused or disgusted.

"He certainly seems to be –"

"Arrogant, brash, reckless?" Elbert asked listing off the adjectives on his fingers. "Because in all three counts you would be correct."

He had a smile on his face as he said these things however so Lily had a feeling he wasn't completely serious. Or barring that, he was but his loyalty to the young storm Lord outweighed all of those negative personality traits.

She decided not to respond to that and asked a simple question instead. "How long have you three known each other?"

Elbert got a fond smile on his face. "It's been about four years now. They arrived at the Eyrie when they were three and ten and since then the three of us have done nearly everything together. I don't have any siblings of my own as I was my father's only child before he passed."

"And now they are your brothers in all But name," Lily finished with a smile.

"Aye," Elbert replied. "But enough about all of this. What of your siblings? You have many I hear."

No doubt he had had to read up on the great houses like she had and thus knew quite a bit about her family just as she knew about his.

"Well, I am the youngest daughter," the red head replied, "but I have two younger brothers, Edmure and Axel who is still just a young child. And there's my friend Petyr."

"Petyr Baelish?" Elbert asked. "I had heard that the son of Lord Baelish was fostering in Riverrun."

"He's been with us for a few years already and he's proven to be a very good friend," Lily said with a smile.

In the meantime she was wondering how said friend was doing in relation to her sister and how said sister was handling herself around Petyr.

In a way she was glad she wasn't there to officiate. She would be constantly worries about everyone, Lysa's feelings, Petyr's unintended callousness, Cat's starry eyed awe at the beauty of the capital, Edmure's constant need for adventure and her own desire to keep Axel as far away from the mad king has she could.

And speaking of which, she hoped her siblings were doing just that.

"There are times when I feel badly for his father," Elbert said suddenly and Lily frowned. "What do you mean?"

The blonde sighed. "I mean his father is a minor Lord, the lord of the littlest of the Fingers with very little to pass on to his son. Land but few holdings, even fewer servants and less means to make a name for himself in this world. I feel for the person who will inherit that level of mediocrity."

Lily frowned, her temper rearing it's head slightly.

"Having a lot of money and influence does not mean you will lead a meaningful life you know," She all but snapped. "What matters is your character and how you treat people. Will you be loved if you rule your land with a rod of iron, meting out the most vile and cruel sentences on people who have nothing and are forced to do what they can to survive? No they will spit on your grave and the chances for revolt are far higher. Your name will be forgotten when you die and your children might not even voice your title. Money only goes so far in this world Lord Elbert and it will be a very sorry state you are in if that is all you are remembered for."

With that said and feeling she had better leave before she said something she regretted, the red head got to her feet with a flourish. "I believe I will turn in, goodnight Lord Elbert."

She made it all the way to the door of the High Hall hoping to leave in a righteous snit on behalf of her childhood friend before the heir to the Vale stopped her with two words.

"Lady Lilian?"

The fourteen year old paused with her hand on the marble post leading out of the Hall and turned back. "Yes?"

With the glow of the fire at his back lighting his features and pale hair, Elbert Arryn almost appeared angelic. His hands were folded in front of him and there was a surprisingly contrite and empathetic look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "I didn't realize how callous that sounded. And you're right, having money or influence doesn't guarantee everything in this world. My uncle did impart to me that honour matters more than all those things."

"Not just honour," Lily replied in an equally soft voice. "It's what you do with the honour you claim to have that matters. Honour is in your family words and mine and yet there are times when What comes before those words seems to matter more. My father values family and duty more than honour. Be careful that your words don't let you slide into lofty thoughts about what honour is rather than performing honourable actions. Goodnight Lord Elbert."

And then she turned and quietly left the hall. All the way down the passage however she could feel the eyes of Elbert Arryn on her back until she turned the corner.

Ω

Lily and Elbert didn't speak for the next two days, not out of anger but out of different schedules.

And because her Uncle was still in conference with Lord Arryn, Lily was left pretty much on her own so she thus spent her time reading, frequenting the sparring grounds when no one was around and turning the medallion she had been given over and over in her hand until she was certain that there was a permanent imprint on her hand.

Every so often she would see Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark across the castle or down in the courtyards but it wasn't until her time in the Eyrie was half complete that the red head felt certain she could call one of them friend.

After a particularly quiet morning, Lily decided she was going to do a little research on the medallion she had been given and entered the library hoping to find in depth lore and symbolism in the history of the Vale.

What she got instead was a surprise.

She had just turned the corner on a shelf full of old manuscripts letting her index finger trace the guilded covers and embossments of each one when she suddenly heard a quiet voice.

"Hello Lady Lilian."

The red blinked and whirled around only to be confronted with a figure sitting at a table a few feet away from her with a stack of books just to the right of him. He was dressed in a grey tunic and breeches with long white sleeves and black boots with the silver head of a wolf pinned to the right breast pocket.

His calm grey eyes were taking her in with a hint of curiosity and polite concern.

"Lord Eddard," she said. "I didn't expect to see you in here. Where is Lord Baratheon?"

To her surprise, the quiet young man gave her a small smile. "Robert isn't much for libraries, books are the one thing he tries to stay away from."

Lily frowned, deciding her own research could wait. "And why is that? He's going to be a Lord isn't he? Reading is something he's going to have to do."

Eddard sighed. "Well then he is going to do it as little as possible and avoid it whenever he can. Robert is more a man of action than a man of words."

Lily snorted. "That I can believe."

Eddard chuckled lightly. "I believe he will always accomplish more with a war hammer in his hands than a quill and an ink pot."

An image of Uncle Brynden flashed in Lily's mind. He too was a man of action more than a man of words but age has made him wise and understanding. Perhaps Robert himself would also mellow out as the years went by.

"May I ask what you're researching?" She asked deciding to change the subject.

"The ruling policies of the old kings of the north," he replied placing a hand on the stack of books. "My father had them sent to me."

Lily frowned. "But aren't you the second son? Shouldn't these be more of the studies of your older brother."

"They should be," he replied. "However lately I have reason to believe that my father is going to select a small hold fast for me to govern where I will be a sworn banner of my brothers'."

"Interesting," Lily mused. "Was that something you wanted to do or did you have something else in mind?"

A contemplative look came over the young wolf's face. "I hadn't truly thought about it. Being the second son means I do have more freedom than my brother and when I was younger I contemplated running off to Essos and becoming a sell sword."

Lily felt her eyebrows rise almost to her hairline. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't really picture you becoming a sell sword."

Eddard gave her another small smile. "Our thoughts are mutual on the subject. After a few years of being here I realized it was more than a little foolish. But I knew I still wanted to travel at some point, although also I know I would come back to the north at some point."

"Because winter is coming," Lily said with a smile.

Ned blinked but then nodded. "Because winter is coming and before long all Starks will be needed. We all return to the north at some point."

"Well I can't really argue against the changing of the seasons," Lily said with a smile. "How much longer do you think you will be hear before you go back to Winterfell?"

Ned passed a hand over the side of his face wryly. "Perhaps another year. I don't intend to remain after my eight and tenth name day and before long my brother will be married as well so I will need to return to the north to observe the union."

Lily blinked. "Good lord I almost forgot that in a year or so your brother and my sister will be wed. I suppose it's a good thing I am getting to meet you now. We are going to be family at some point."

"That is true."

"What is your brother like Ned?" Lily asked. She had decided right then to test out the name seeing as how they were going to be seeing more of each other.

"Brandon?" Ned replied. "Well when the two of us were growing up, he was always my protector. We were polar opposites he and I, we still are in many ways. I was smaller than he was and so I can remember up until my tenth name day I could always look to my right and see his shadow walking beside me. I never liked that he was taller than I was."

Lily chuckled. "Its always nice to feel as if there are people watching over us isn't it? I suppose I just wanted to ask because he will we'd my sister and I want to make sure she's taken care of."

Ned smiled again. "Then let me set your mind at ease. You have nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked in a rare moment of letting her guard down. "I may not be the oldest sibling but I am older than some and Cat is full of dreams. She wants to be the perfect lady, the perfect mother and I do know how excited she is about all of this. So when I found out my uncle was traveling here to see Lord Arryn on business, not only was it a chance to avoid the wedding but it was a chance to find out more about the Starks and their famed honour. I just wanted to be sure."

Up until that point Ned had only been giving her small smiles that Lily had taken to be a sign of politeness. But at that moment she could have sworn she saw a sparkle in his grey eyes that said that he was genuinely pleased.

He opened his mouth presumably to say something but was suddenly and almost jarringly cut off by the sound of shouting in the distance.

"When were you going to bring this to my attention?!"

Ned's smile and shiny eyes vanished immediately and his head jerked towards the library door as if the horns of war had just been sounded.

"That was Lord Arryn," he said softly.

All of a sudden the shout was followed with an even deeper bellow that almost had the quality of rolling thunder.

Lily couldn't quite make out what it was saying but it seemed angry.

"And that would be Robert," Ned said pointing a finger towards the door.

The two of them exchanged glances and both started to get up to head towards the door.

All of a sudden there was the sound of running feet in the corridor and Elbert dashed in before slamming the heavy doors that had been propped open shut behind him.

"Elbert what in the name of the old gods is the matter?" Ned demanded as the heir to the Vale caught his breath.

"Give me a moment," the blonde said bending slightly at the waist to catch his breath.

Ned and Lily exchanged glances again.

"What's all the shouting about?" The red head asked.

Elbert blinked as if realizing she was there for the first time. "Lady Lilian my apologies I didn't see you."

Finally he straightened up. "At the moment Robert is at odds with Uncle Jon about a….matter of indiscretion."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "A matter of indiscretion?"

All of a sudden Ned groaned and dropped his face into his hands as if in dismay.

"You know then," Elbert asked.

Ned cast a glance at Lily as if he were trying to be discreet. "I knew he had been to see her a number of times. But Lord Arryn wouldn't be so upset about it unless…."

He trailed off as the pieces clanged together in Lily's brain. Robert Baratheon was involved in a matter of indiscretion, obviously seeing a woman he shouldn't have been seeing and the result was an apoplectic an Lord Arryn.

"Dear god," she muttered under her breath as she looked from Ned to Elbert.

Elbert's face was red and he was doing everything he could to avoid her eyes whilst Ned was staring hard out the window.

Shaking her head and knowing she would get no more answers from them, the red head strode from the room in the hopes of finding her Uncle Brynden.

What she did find was more shouting coming from down the corridor that led to the High Hall and so she started in that direction.

"And what do you plan to do about this?" Demanded the voice of Lord Arryn. "The girl is low born, she has not the means to support the child. She will be forever ruined because of dalliance and you will have a bastard child that will follow you around for the rest of your life! How in the name of the gods do you expect me to be calm about all this?"

"Jon! This is not something you need to worry about – "

"Really? I suppose you were simply going to ignore this letter and simply let things play themselves out. Is that not so?"

"No I –"

"Or perhaps you would do something even more harebrained and bring the child with you when it's born back to the Stormlands thus complicating your life and theirs. The world is not kind to bastards and you would force this child to share in that by you presence!"

Lily barely restrained a grimace. She knew in this world that a bastard was seen as a stain upon their parents name, a physical representation of their indiscretion and unbridled lust for someone far too different or lesser than they.

It was even worse when bastards were born to already married lords as it had the potential to put a strain on the marriage.

But while the political ramifications of having a bastard were highly unfortunate, the fact that the blame for these so called indiscretions was mostly placed on the fragile young shoulders of the child in question was something that Lily absolutely did not agree with.

They didn't ask for their parents to not be able to control themselves, or in other cases to have a father who had helped himself to a low born female. They were simply the result of those decisions.

They were children and deserved to be loved and treated with respect the same as any child born of noble birth.

Her mother heart ached for those children who were ostracized from society because of the choices of their parents. Having Harry had changed her perspective on many things and the fact that she was living a different life now had not dulled her ideals or values.

It was why she talked down Cat whenever her sister made it seem as if bastards were the worst sin in the world.

She was just contemplating whether or not to continue to the High Hall to see if her Uncle was there when the sound of footsteps made her look up.

Brynden Tully had just exited through the while marble archway that led to the corridor and had caught sight of her.

"I take it you heard the shouting," he said with a wry smile as he strode up to her.

"I'm certain the whole keep has heard it by now," she asked raising an eyebrow. "Ned and Elbert inadvertently informed me about the origins of it."

The Blackfish sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Aye, an unfortunate business that. Apparently this is not the first time young Lord Robert has dallied with a girl of the Vale."

Lily was certain her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. "You mean he has fathered more children?"

"Not to my knowledge thank the Seven," her Uncle muttered. "But this is not the first time Lord Arryn has lectured him on his….lack of self control."

The shouting down the hall had continued however by this time Lord Arryn was speaking so fast Lily couldn't make out everything he was saying.

"How do they plan to handle this?" She asked.

Brynden grinned. "I am told in the way that they always do….with shouting."

Lily snorted. "It's a wonder Eddard and Elbert aren't like that. The three of them grew up together. They would have been exposed to all of those….bad habits."

"Well from what I understand both Eddard and Elbert had those sorts of paternal figures in their life to educate them from a very young age about avoiding such indiscretions and behaving with honour. Lord Robert seems to lack proper education in those matters given the…losses he experienced before coming here."

Lily grimaced again, but this time for a different reasons. She had almost forgotten that the young stormlord had lost both of his parents in a terrible shipwreck.

For a moment she felt a stab of sympathy but then set her teeth again. The death of his parents shouldn't have been an excuse for his bad actions.

"Even still," she said. "He grew up here with a man who in every other language would have been called honourable to his core and has had him as an example. Why then does he persist in dishonouring himself and other women. Sleeping around does befit a Lord, or anyone for that matter. We're supposed to set examples for others with the power that we have, not waste it spilling seed into everything that moves."

To her annoyance the Blackfish burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" She demanded after a few seconds of hooting.

"Nothing my dear," he said when he had finally managed to get control of himself again. "I was simply reminded of your mother in that moment. She loved children and so to see any of them treated badly affected her. Unfortunately your father was the one who instilled it in your sister's heads to hate and fear bastards because of the role of the Blackfyres. But I am glad to see that you know differently."

Lily snorted slightly. "Well, I certainly hope Robert Baratheon does right by that child and gives her some sort of life."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that my dear," the Blackfish said as he took her arm and led her down the corridor away from the High Hall. "Lord Arryn might be livid, but he is a man who will never forget his honour."

Ω

Later that night when the stars were bright and the moon was out in full force, Lily rolled over in her bed and slapped the pillow for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Oh this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself before rolling over and sitting up.

Running a hand through her long red curls, she had a feeling she wouldn't be getting any more rest that night much as she might try.

With a sigh she tossed the blanket aside and got to her feet convinced that the only way she was going to be able to go to sleep was if she physically made herself tired.

And that was when she went to the trunk at the foot of her bed and retrieved the sword she had brought with her from Riverrun.

Sneaking down to the sparring grounds was easy after that and the red head had a feeling that the blast of cold night air hitting her with each gust would make her tired eventually.

Once she had arrived at the square of white marble attired comfortably in a tunic and breeches with her sheathed sword in hand, Lily was beginning to feel a little bit more herself.

She paused in the middle of the grounds, widened her stance and closed her eyes. Slowly she ran her hand up the flat of the blade.

There was a sudden breath of wind and she raised the blade over her head and whirled around doing one hundred and eighty degrees on the position.

Taking a step forward she swung the blade up on the left side of her body and then the right bending her legs and leaning forward as she finished.

Upon completion of this movement, she swung around again. However just as she came to a stop, there came a second aspect that brought her up short.

"That's a pretty sword you've got there."

Lily blinked and glanced up to see a hulking figure standing at the edge of the sparring grounds. It was at least a head taller than she was and right away Lily knew who she was speaking to.

"Pretty Lord Robert?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "No tool that can slit you from navel to nose should be called pretty."

"Oh aye, but no matter what it does it is still pretty. You need a better sword than that."

He took a step forward into the light and Lily blinked.

Robert Baratheon was attired in all black, a loose fitting tunic and breeches tucked into black boots. His hair was tousled as if he had just gotten out of bed and tossed haphazardly across his forehead. And in the light his blue eyes fairly glowed like two stars.

Lily grimaced and forced herself to focus. "And what sort of weapon would you recommend then?"

Robert cocked his head to one side and then took another step forward. "Well for starters I would get rid of the sword. A real warrior needs one of these."

With a casual swing he brought his war hammer up into sight. Why he had been walking around with that thing Lily had no idea but she had a feeling she hadn't been the only one deprived of sleep and needing a physical distraction.

Although she would have thought Robert was the sort of man to engage in a different sort of physical distraction given what had happened today.

And again she grimaced.

"A war hammer?" She scoffed. "I'd look ridiculous with one of those."

Robert barked out a laugh. "You're standing here in the middle of the night with a sword jabbing at the air. You're buggered if you don't realize how ridiculous that already looks."

Lily rolled her eyes. "And just why is a war hammer better than a sword?"

Robert shrugged. "Well it's simple. A sword is pretty, a war hammer is not. It's easier to kill with a hammer than with a sword."

"Is that so?" Lily asked placing her hands on her hips. "Well while you're too busy swinging that giants club around which will inevitably slow you down, a sword can slip in for the kill and stab you in the gut before you can even blink."

Again Robert laughed. "I would like to meet the man who could do a thing like that and fight him myself."

"Well then," Lily said lifting her sword on to her shoulder, "here is your chance."

Robert as it turned out was not as thick as she might have believed and he caught on right away.

"You?" He asked, both eyebrows raised.

"Me," Lily replied with a smirk. "If you're so convinced that your weapon is better, put your hammer where your mouth is and show me."

As it turned out the storm lord didn't need much convincing.

A shark like grin crossed the handsome face of the eldest Baratheon. "And what do I get if I win?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that sort of woman. You may have gotten one girl pregnant but I certainly won't be the second. You get the satisfaction of having beaten me, no more no less."

Robert's eyes had widened at the omission of her knowledge but then they narrowed in concentration. "Well come on then, let's see what the Riverlands can do."

What followed was the most ferocious duel she had ever fought. Though her Uncle Brynden was quick and precise, Robert was powerful and down right ferocious. The hammer only seemed to increase his force and Lily found herself forced to defend immediately.

His size was going to be an issue but she was also fast on her feet and if she kept moving she could tire him out.

She lost track of the time as they circled each other trading blow for blow but if the sweat beginning to drip down her back was any indication, it had been a while.

Finally Lily knew there was only one way to beat him as she was getting tired too. She had a secret weapon that was primed for emergencies of this sort.

No, she screamed to herself. I swore I wouldn't use magic on a Muggle for any reason unless it was to save my life. I already broke it once with father but this is something I cannot and will not do!

So she didn't.

Instead it was a complete and utter fluke that she saw what she did next.

A crack in the pavement just wide enough to get a foot stuck in. She just had to draw him towards it.

And perhaps use s bit of Muggle trickery.

In a last ditch effort to halt his forward onslaught, the red head ducked under a particularly wild swing and and then ducked even further so she was eye level with his knees.

In a jerky move, she slapped the side of his right knee, succeeding in throwing him off balance and when he leaned to the right she brought the sword around and slapped his other knee.

And she would've won the bout if it weren't for his own strength.

Lily glanced up just in time to see the head of the hammer coming at her and only had a second to dive out of the way which succeeded in putting her off balance too.

The next thing she knew the giant of a Lord was standing over her, hammer raised.

"I win," he said with a cheerful smile. "Now you need to admit that a hammer is better than a sword."

"Not quite," Lily said with a smirk. And then she tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword and stabbed downward at the fabric of his pant leg pulling upward with as much strength as she could muster.

It wasn't enough to yank him off his feet but she did succeed in throwing him off balance again and allowing her to get to her feet.

And that was how they found themselves standing inches apart with their weapons pressed to each other's throats.

There was a moment of breathless silence before Lily realized what had happened and she stepped away quickly. "Not bad Baratheon."

"Same to you Tully," he said. He wasn't panting but his breath was somewhat heavy. "Where did you learn all that?"

The red head smirked. "My uncle's the Blackfish Baratheon. He fought in the war of the nine Penny kings. He's been teaching me how to handle a sword for the last six years."

And with that she jerked her sword free and strode off back to her chambers without a backward glance.

And just as with Elbert, she could feel his eyes on her back.

Ω

 **THANK GOD! I am back baby! Okay enough with the theatrics haha. But I'm really sorry it has taken me this long to post an update for any of my stories. It has been a truly brutal semester at school and on top of that my computer went kaput so I have been forced to use my tablet to post anything. But it doesn't matter now, I'm back and hopefully will never be gone for this long again. In this chapter I wanted all three guys to have a conversation with Lily as all three are going to mean something to her throughout her life, obviously some more than others hehehe. Also in the next chapter Brynden learns about Lily's magic and the residents of the House of Arryn and their guests head for the capital. Don't forget to drop a review and scream at me for being away for so long. Enjoy!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lily did her best to avoid Robert over the course of the next few days because she wasn't certain what had transpired between them. She was proud for having conducted herself well but she had had to employ ever bit of her uncle's training and had awakened the next day very sore as a result. But in the back of her mind it had been worth it.

She had never fought against someone with as much raw skill and power as Robert. Her uncle was sharp and precise but Baratheon somehow managed to have more strength than anyone she had ever seen and yet still control it enough to be devastating.

Lily knew there wouldn't be many times she would fight someone like that and she thanked her lucky stars for it because it had taken ever ounce of her strength and speed to hold him off.

He had been a challenge that's for sure but she was no closer to understanding him than she had been before.

All she did know was that he was not someone to underestimate and she hoped that he now knew the same thing about her.

But she wasn't holding her breath.

So she kept her thoughts to herself for the most part except for when she told her uncle about the incident.

His easy smile told her all that she needed to know.

 _"From what I have learned from Lord Arryn thus far, Robert Baratheon is impulsive, boisterous, reckless and ambitious. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. However Jon has also imparted to me that someone of that calibre needs to be tempered with other personalities. Robert Baratheon is a volatile young man and the last thing he needs is people around him who are going to add to that volatility. From what I have understood, Jon has had his hands full with him these last few years."_

Just thinking about that made Lily grimace.

 _I certainly hope he will learn some self control before he becomes a lord and soon,_ she thought. _Otherwise the Stormlords and his lady wife are going to be in for a rough time in the next few decades._

The red head briefly considered what it would be like if she were married to someone like Robert Baratheon and grimaced.

While he was distractingly attractive, one couldn't build a life off of just that alone. Marriage was a great adventure, full of mystery and wonder and even though she hadn't been married for very long, there was a heady feeling to spending your life with someone that you loved that was a very attractive prospect.

 _I honestly hope Robert gets his act together and soon. I don't know if Lord Arryn can afford to lose any more grey hair._

At the moment however, the red head was sitting in the High Hall between her Uncle and Elbert Arryn reading a letter that had just arrived from the capital.

She had been delighted to see Petyr's familiar scrawling letters and had wasted no time in breaking the seal and reading eagerly.

 _Dear Lily_

 _You will find the capital much different than the Riverlands I fear. The stink of this place is all but over powering when one is in the city streets and I don't know how the royal family stands it. Perhaps its just a symptom from having lived all their lives in King's Landing. Its good to know I'm not the only one who is affected by the smell though. I've seen many nobles and noblewomen wrinkling their noses at the stench when they go out in the gardens._

 _I'll bet the smell is much nicer in the Vale though. You're surrounded by mountains and fresh breezes. Gods but I wish I was with you.  
I plan on sealing this very carefully and sending it off myself so no one has access to it but the Targaryens certainly are a strange lot. Their looks are other worldly and the queen is certainly the most enchanting creature I have other seen but there is almost a glazed look in the eyes of the crown prince and the king as if they spend much of their time dreaming as opposed to being awake._

 _When the prince isn't being fawned over by every one of the ladies at court, he spends much of his time in the library poring over the oldest books I've ever seen and muttering to himself. And the king spends much of his time brooding. I think if I were to try and describe him to you, no words would do him justice so I suppose you will simply have to wait and see him for yourself to decide what you think.  
There was a lot of chatter yesterday as the Martell Princess had just arrived and she is a vision in gold. Other than the queen, I don't think I have ever seen a woman so beautiful. She is a few years older than the prince and I have heard some speculation about her health but if you were here I suppose you would just scoff. _

_Her brother is also with her and I only had to take one look at him to know that he is a dangerous man. The Red Viper they call him, and such a name and reputation is not without its fair share of stories. He is quite bold I'm told. However it seems as if everything that comes out of Dorne is fiery and passionate._

 _And speaking of fiery natures, I would love to hear your opinion on the Lannister girl when you get here. She's blonde, green eyed and as much of a vicious harpy as I have ever seen. She thinks she keeps her expressions guarded when looking at Princess Elia well guarded but anyone with eyes can see that she is as green as her eyes with jealousy.  
After all, she likely would have been the queen had the king not been decidedly jealous of Tywin Lannister and decided to scorn him in this way. I think the Old Lion himself will be displeased enough that he may just decide to leave the capital altogether before long._

 _But I digress, I wish to give you an update on Axel. He is doing well and I am keeping an eye on him like I promised. Lysa has been helping me which is certainly nice of her. She's been spending a lot more time with me lately but I think that's because she misses you and seeing as how we're best friends, I suppose she feels more comfortable with me._

Lily raised an eyebrow unsure if she should raise an eyebrow or smirk at her friend's naivete. Petyr was brilliantly smart but there were times when she truly wondered whether or not he was aware of the emotions going on around.

She hoped Lysa was being subtle, but not too vague.

 _At the same time, I wished to tell you that my father has arrived. I thought he might be traveling with you in Lord Arryn's retinue but apparently not. I have been taking your advice and spending some more time with him and while I cannot say any sort of emotional progress has been made, it is sort of nice to see him after all these years._

 _Your father and Cat have been spending a lot of time with the Starks who have also recently arrived. Brandon Stark is with them as well and I already don't like the look of him. He's tall, broad and many of the women here have been fawning over him as well._

 _But I know if you were here, you would be having none of that and you would be rolling your eyes at Cat nonstop._

 _Well the candle is burning low and I am almost out of ink so I believe I will end this letter here. When do you Ser Brynden and the Arryn party think you will be leaving for the capital. Things have been tremendously boring and I hope they pick up when you arrive._

 _Sincerely, Petyr_

Lily sighed softly to herself and refolded the letter. Petyr's message was full of good information that she could use but also unknown facts that he himself didn't seem to be aware of. Although she wasn't there, the red head was certain that her best friend didn't know that Lysa was carrying a torch for him.

She wondered how something like this was going to be addressed when they were all in the capital together.

Also Petyr's information on the new princess was certainly interesting. Lily didn't know much about the Martells but the brother of the Princess certainly sounded formidable. Maybe he was going to be her protector while she was in the capital. The way that Petyr had described the king, it certainly didn't seem to be a bad idea.

"Good news?" Elbert asked from where he was sitting munching on a piece of black bacon.

Lily smiled at him. "No, just news. I have been conversing with a friend of mine since we parted ways at Riverrun and he went to the capital with my family."

"Petyr Baelish, your father's ward?" Elbert asked and she nodded. The wards of over lords spending time fostering at different castles was not a new concept in the south or the north for that matter.

"We grew up together," Lily explained. "We learned how to ride together, we studied together, learned our letters and politics and history. He'll be a lifelong friend of mine."

Elbert got a strange look on his face then almost as if he were lost in thought. "Well then he is very lucky."

Lily blinked at him, feeling a slight warming in her cheeks and wondering how she should react to such an off the cuff statement from the heir of the Vale.

Fortunately she didn't have to when both Lord Arryn and Ser Brynden Tully chose to enter the high hall in that moment.

"Good morning Uncle," Elbert called out earning a brief smile from the aging blonde man. His greeting was echoed by Ned and Robert who were sitting not far away.

Ser Brynden smiled at his niece before taking the seat opposite her. There was a sheath of letters in his hand and Lily gestured to it with her spoon. "Are those letters from father?"

"Some," the Blackfish replied. "I see you got one as well."

"This one's from Petyr."

"Ah, and how are he and the young ones handling the capital thus far?"

Wordlessly, Lily handed over the letter and watched his expression as he read it while she munched on her porridge.

Finally when he finished, he sighed and handed the parchment back over. "Petyr is an observant lad. I am glad that he is keeping an extra eye on Axel. Cat still has her head in the clouds as always."

"What else?"

"Well we shall be joining the fray soon enough," Ser Brynden said as he handed the letter back to her. "I have finished my business with Lord Arryn and so in the next few days we shall depart. I know we have only been here for a week or so but are you up for more travel?"

Lily nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing Cat, Lysa, Axel, Ed and Petyr again."

"The royal wedding will occur within a few weeks as well," Brynden replied. "If we are to make it in time, we will need to leave very soon."

"Good!" Robert barked from around a mouthful of porridge. "It's about time we had some excitement."  
"You've already had enough as it is," Lord Arryn muttered from behind his piece of toast causing Ned to cough into his goblet.

"Speaking of excitement," The Blackfish said leaning across the table towards his niece and lowering his voice. "There will no doubt be a lot of political excitement when we reach the capital. You will do your best to keep a low profile won't you? The rumors of the kings mental instability are abounding and many strange and terrible stories have arisen from the palace servants. Do your best to keep your head low."

"You aren't worried at all are you?" Lily asked with some alarm.

"Nay," her Uncle said in a low voice looking at her with intent blue eyes. "But I don't want to have any reason to."

Ω

 _Several Weeks Later…._

"Lily!" Axel screamed as he raced toward her down the cobblestoned path his little arms raised in the air. His nursemaid was hustling after him and looked supremely out of breath. She must have been putting in overtime on watching him while her father handled other bits of business.

Tucking her dress about herself, Lily leapt down from her mount as she, her Uncle and the rest of the Arryn party came to a stop in the courtyard just inside the gates of the Red Keep.

Grinning so hard she thought her face might hurt, the red head bent down to receive her youngest brother who leaped into her arms without a care.

"Hello monster!" she laughed, a pet name she had called him since he was born as he had more energy than any baby she had ever seen. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" the auburn haired child cried. "But I played with Pet and Lya a lot!"

"Did you?" Lily asked, pleased that her sister and best friend had taken their roles in looking after the youngest Tully so seriously. "And did you have fun?"

"I did!" he said. "Papa only let me play in the gardens though. He said he didn't want me running all over the place."

 _Good,_ Lily thought to herself. _Sometimes Father's astuteness does him credit. Plus its better to keep a child away from the King's sight at all times. Merlin knows what could happen._

"I played with Vis a lot too," Axel said cheerfully and Lily blinked at the unfamiliar name. "Vis?"

"He means Prince Viserys," said a familiar voice and Lily looked up with a grin identical to her first on her face. "Petyr!"

Hoster Tully's ward was strolling down the pathway towards them. He stopped to say a word to Axel's nurse who was watching the whole scene carefully and a moment later, she turned and returned to the keep.

"Good to see you Tully," he said stopping in front of her with a small smile. "Life has been a little too boring without you."

"I missed you too," Lily said with a laugh as she got to her feet still holding Axel. "And what were you saying about Prince Viserys?"

Petyr chucked. "Several days after we got here I was in one of the gardens with Axel and Lysa and we happened to come across the queen herself with one of the Kingsguard. We bowed as always and she seemed delighted with the sight of Axel as he and the prince are the same age. Prince Viserys invited Axel to play with him as he had a myriad of toys around him and of course Axel happily agreed. They have been running around ever since."

Lily looked at her friend carefully. "Has the king been present for any of this?"

Petyr shook his head. "No."

Lily nodded feeling relieved. "Good.

"I see you've sprouted up like a weed Lord Baelish!" Brynden Tully boomed as he strode towards them from his horse where he was conferring quietly with Lord Arryn. "The time in the capital has done you well!"

He clapped a hand on the slender youth's shoulder and Petyr awarded the Blackfish with a small smile. "I don't know about that Ser Brynden. I'm still not much taller than Ed."

"You won't be that way for long!" called out another familiar voice and Lily looked up to see Ed and Lysa heading towards them with identical smiles on their faces.

The gardens were so far quiet and thankfully there was no one around with witness the greetings taking place between the Tully party. Lily herself was grateful as she wanted some privacy to reunite with her siblings.

It had been no more than eight weeks since she had seen them but she had felt their absence. It was sometimes nice having a large family.

Lysa greeted Lily with a hug but didn't meet her eyes prompting the other red head to frown in wonderment. Had something happened between her and Petyr?

Ed gave Lily a rather boisterous hug bringing a laugh out of his older sister before she looked around. "Where are Father and Cat?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "Off doing business with Lord Stark and Lord Brandon no doubt. They have been in counsel for the last few days."

"Why?" Lily asked. "Isn't Cat's marriage already secure?"

"It is," Petyr replied. "But it seems as if Lord Tully wishes for Brandon Stark to come and spend some time in Riverrun before he married Cat. As to the why, I hardly know."

Lily blinked as she processed this information. That was certainly interesting. She didn't know much about Brandon Stark but this time at the capital would hopefully be a good time to rectify that.

"Are those the Arryns?" Lysa asked in a whisper suddenly looking past the group of Tully siblings.

All turned to see Lord Arryn conferring several feet away with his nephew and two wards. There was a serious expression on his face as if he were imparting some instruction. While both Ned and Elbert were nodding, Robert looked decidedly impatient."

"Is that Robert Baratheon?" Ed asked. "Gods he's a giant! How old is he?"

"The same age as Cat," Lily replied. "I'm told all Baratheon men are enormous though."

"He looks very fierce," Lysa observed. "Is the blonde one Elbert Arryn?"

"He is," the other red head confirmed.

"He's quite handsome isn't he?" Lysa asked once more to no one in particular and both Ed and Petyr rolled their eyes, prompting a chuckle from Lily. "Yes I suppose so."

Because she was looking at Elbert, she didn't see the shadow pass over Petyr's face but Brynden Tully did.

Thankfully he was wise enough not to comment on it but he did file it away in his memory to remember for later.

At that moment, Elbert Arryn chose to look up and lock eyes with Lily. He sent her a smile which she returned before he looked back at his uncle, said something and then left the group before heading over to them.

"Ser Brynden, my uncle has been called before the king, but he wishes to continue to discuss your plans for Gulltown," he said.

"Very good," the Blackfish replied. "I look forward to hearing what he has to say."

He clasped hands with the heir to the Vale, before the blonde smiled at Lily. "Will you be at the feast tonight Lady Lilian?"

The red head smiled back at him. "Of course."

He gave a courtly bow before surprising her and bending to kiss her hand. "I look forward to it then. Farewell."

He then strode back to his uncle who appeared to have finished saying his peace to Robert and Ned as they were leaving also.

Lily turned back to her siblings who were both looking at her with incredulous looks on their faces. "What?"

"What in the name of the Seven was that all about?" Ed demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"He obviously likes you," Lysa pointed out.

"Don't be silly," Lily scoffed. "I spent the last few weeks with he and his uncle and Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon. There is nothing more than platonic feelings."

"He doesn't seem to think so," Ed muttered causing Petyr to frown somewhat darkly. "But in the meantime, you should see the size of the training yard here Lily! I've seen knights and nobles practicing every day."

"Jaime Lannister certainly seems to spend a lot of time there," Petyr murmured. "Doesn't he have anything better to do than wave a sword around all the time?"

Lily shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't know how to do anything else."

Petyr flashed her a small smile at the subtle dig but she didn't return it.

"I hate to break up this reunion," Ser Brynden broke in. "But Edmure would you mind telling me where your father is? I have some business to speak to him about."

"Then you need to look no further," called out a familiar voice.

Both Lily and the Blackfish looked up to see Hoster Tully striding towards them with Cat just behind. She looked extraordinarily pleased with herself and Lily guessed that the meeting with the Starks had gone well.

Hoster wasn't smiling but he did appear relaxed like the proverbial cat that caught the canary.

"Lilian," he said when he saw her and gave her a small smile. "You're looking well. Did you enjoy your time in the Vale?"  
"I did father thank you," Lily said with a nod even though she didn't smile when she saw him. She knew he wouldn't notice.

"And your opinion of Lord Elbert?"

"He is as generous as he is kind," Lily replied vaguely.

"Excellent," Hoster said as he clasped hands with his younger brother. "Perhaps I should take it upon myself to speak to his uncle while he is here."

Lily swallowed hard deciding to herself that she would have to thwart any such efforts as they came up. Elbert was nice enough but marriage for a fourteen year old was far too young. Maybe if they got to know each other well enough in the next few years she could see it.

Brynden bid his nieces and nephews farewell and strode slowly off down the garden path behind his brother, hands behind his back the two of their heads together.

"So, tell us how was the Vale!" Lysa demanded. "All those mountains and rocky cliffs, it must have been beautiful."

"And very defensible," Petyr said. "If the Targaryens didn't have dragons no one would have been able to conquer the Vale."

"There is that," Lily said. "And yes there is something that is oddly beautiful about the Vale. They don't have any forests or rivers like we do, at least in the way you might think but all those rocky crags do make a lovely picture. The Eyrie itself is absolutely gorgeous. The keep itself is all way and is a cluster of tall white towers surrounding a beautiful godswood. There's only one way in and one way out and from any balcony you stand you can see all around you and above you is nothing but sky."

"Goodness, that sounds lovely Cat said finally. She had been remarkably quiet since she had rejoined her siblings."

"I'll bet it's a lot fresher than it is here," Petyr muttered causing Cat to glare at him. "Petyr you shouldn't say things like that. You don't know who might be listening."

"I sincerely don't think I am going to be arrested for saying that the city stinks," the youth scoffed. "I am fairly certain everyone else in this city agrees."

"Even still do lower your voice," Cat said looking around nervously.

"Has anyone seen Princess Elia?" Lily interrupted in order to curb what might have been a pending argument.

"Oh yes, she arrived and was presented to the king and prince the day after we arrived," Lysa said.

"She certainly is beautiful," Ed said with something of a dreamy expression on his face. "She is a little older than the prince though."

All of a sudden Axel punctuated the conversation between the siblings with a loud yawn and Lily laughed as she looked down at her sleepy little brother. "I think this one is long overdue for a nap."

"Well come on then, we'll show you to your chambers," Lysa said taking her sister's arm. "We're all in the same hallway and you're between Cat and I. You might want to rest up before the feast tonight if you've been riding all day."

"I certainly like the sound of that," Lily said as she followed her siblings into the keep.

Ω

Several hours later, Lily was feeling refreshed and peaceful and had decided to leave her older sisters to their primping while she took a walk around the gardens of the keep.

From what she had seen of the palace so far the gardens were her favorite part. There were little streams dashing over rocks to water exotic looking purple and yellow flowers. The scent of the fruits ripening on the branches of the tall trees was enough to block out any sort of stench from the city streets.

 _As long as I can spend all my time in the gardens while I'm here this trip shouldn't be that bad,_ the red head thought to herself.

The keep even had a godswood which surprised her as the godswood in Riverrun was one of her favorite places to visit.

Upon seeing it, Lily smiled to herself and decided she would pay a visit to those white trees with their blood red leaves.

As it turned out however, she was the only one who had chosen to do this.

She had no sooner entered the quiet of the wood however when a soft sound caught her attention, causing her head to whip up at the sound. She could hear murmured words carried on the wind and for a moment, it almost seemed as if someone was praying.

Lily peered around a particularly large weirwood tree as she neared the heart of the godswood and to her surprise, she noted that a woman was sitting on a bench in front of the heart tree.

It appeared that she was praying but when Lily registered who it really was she was heard pressed to stifle a gasp of surprise.

Elia Martell of Dorne, the betrothed of the prince was sitting beneath the heart tree her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes were tightly closed as if she were concentrating all of her mental faculties on what she was saying.

She certainly was beautiful though. It was sort of a Fragile beauty however like a piece of glass wrought into an elegant statue or like a butterfly's wing that would be destroyed the minute it was touched. Her hair was long black and lustrous and her form was slender and elegant. Her skin was the color of caramel after having spent a lifetime under the Dornish sun and the colors of her dress were yellow and orange.

 _A Dornish princess praying to the old gods of the north?_ Lily thought to herself wryly. _Surely the end of days is upon us._

Propriety told her that she should quietly exit the godswood and leave the princess to her prayers as whatever she was praying about seemed to be personal and important.

However, her curiosity insisted she stay and listen to what was being said.

Lily may have been more of self aware than her sisters but she wouldn't call herself a noble lady completely. So she squashed propriety and crept forward to hear what was being said.

"Please do not think I am not grateful for this opportunity," the princess said. "However I do wish it had not come to me. What do I want of the Targaryens? I will be in a place of danger for the rest of my life. My heart longs for Dorne and Sunspear and I fear my heart will always long for that place and the people who live there."

Lily blinked in surprise.

She knew arranged marriages were commonplace in this world they lived in and that finding love in a marriage was a blessing that few found.

But it seemed that every woman in court wished to be the new queen and many were prepared to sell their souls for the opportunity. And yet Princess Elia it seemed didn't want it.

Steeling closer she watched the princess's shoulders shake silently as if she were weeping and her own eyes widened in surprise.

Suddenly feeling overcome with compassion, Lily stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

As she expected the Martell princess got to her feet hurriedly and turned around, stiff as she did so.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the red headed girl and her brow furrowed for a moment as if trying to remember which Tully this was.

"Lady Catelyn?" she said finally and the youngest Tully daughter smiled gently at her. "It's Lilian actually. I just arrived today. Are you alright?"

Elia scrubbed at her eyes. "You've caught me at an unfortunate time my lady. I didn't think anyone would be here in the godswood at this hour. I thought everyone would be getting ready for the feast."

Lily smiled gently. "Neither did I. I suppose I'm not the only one who's longing for home."

Elia's cheeks turned slightly pink as she realized that she had been over heard. Lily raised a hand to silence any protests she knew might be coming. "It's not my place to judge your grace. I am a long way from home as well. There are times when I miss the riverlands very much. May I ask though why it was the old gods you were praying to and not the Seven?"

Her eyes finally dry, Elia gave the Tully girl a damp smile. "I suppose I was hoping that the more I prayed to one of them at least would answer me. I'm not as familiar with the northern gods but I didn't see the harm in trying."

Lily nodded. "I've never been particularly devout either. But it is ironic that I seem to find more peace in a godswood than in a sept."

There was a long silence between them and Lily searched quickly for a moment, wondering about what she should say.

"If you don't mind my asking," she began a bit timidly. "What were you upset about?"

Elia took a deep breath. "I don't want to seem ungrateful."

"Trust me, talking about something that upsets you is not being ungrateful," Lily prompted gently. "If anything it might make you feel better."

Elia was quiet for so long that Lily wondered for a moment if the Martell princes had heard her and was about to say something else when the other woman spoke.

"Many women vie for the chance to be a queen. I'm sure the court is full of ladies who would long to be in my position. Perhaps I am only of the odd few who wishes to be anywhere but at court."

To say that Lily was surprised would be an understatement. She had misunderstood Elia's prayers earlier to be simple homesickness but it appeared to go far deeper than that.

Elia noted correctly that her silence was borne of shock and gave her a wry smile. "I suppose that wasn't what you were expecting to hear?"

"No," Lily said carefully. "However many women here want to be queen, it has nothing to do with the crown prince. They only want power. And you seem to be one of those rare few that doesn't."

"Doran and I were committed to duty," Elia explained sadly. "If Oberyn was a better ruler, I suspect Doran would have wanted him to take up the role of prince of Dorne. Power is never something we've aspired towards. Being a queen was never something that I wanted. I fear I've left my heart in Dorne and it will always remain there."

"And so what is it that you want?" Lily asked gently.

"Peace," the Dornish princess said after a moment. "Peace and quiet. To be away from the power hungry struggles of these nobles who are obsessed with legacy."

"They can't take it with them when they're gone," Lily said bitterly, thinking oddly of her own father who seemed to love his name and the ideas of power far more than his flesh and blood children.

It really was quite sad.

Elia regarded her silently for a moment as if taking her in for the first time and truly seeing her. Her face looked mildly impressed.

"Tell me Lilian," she said quietly after a while. "How old are you?'

"I am four and ten."

Elia blinked. "You speak like one who is twice your age. Tell me, how did you become so wise?"

Lily wasn't about to tell her that her wisdom came from over a second life that had been full of hardship and sadness at its end. If Elia thought her wise after the conversation they had just had she would think her insane now.

"My mother always did tell me before she died that I knew too much for my own good," Lily said feeling a little amused. "In some ways my sisters and are polar opposites. Catelyn has been raised to be the perfect lady, far more than I'll ever be. I suppose one of us had to have more common sense. And Lysa's a bit like a whimsical dreamer, she finds life more interesting inside of her head. That's usually the way it works with sisters. One is always very different from the other in personality."

Elia smiled. "I wish I had a sister. My brother Oberyn and I are like that as well though we're not twins. He's always been the one to do things without thinking which leaves Doran and I to clean up his mess. He fights too much and whores about too much but he is family and we don't get to choose who we have in our family. I know he would do anything for me though. I don't think he plans to go back to Dorne even after the wedding. He's always watched out for me."

Lily remembered seeing Oberyn Martell a little earlier after she had seen her room. He was dark like his sister and quite handsome. He reminded her of some of the Spaniards she had seen on a trip to Spain when she was still Lily Evans. They seemed to exude sexuality as they walked and were far too good-looking for their own good.

She had heard stories of the fighting prowess of the Red Viper and could certainly admit to herself that he was one of the better looking men she had met in her last life.

She had also heard of his exploits with numerous women, something which made her wary. No one seemed to be immune to charms.

Rumor had it that he had at least four bastards back in Dorne. They were treated far better in Sunspear that in the rest of Westeros but Lily couldn't help imagining that such acts might get him into trouble one day.

The reminder of bastards brought to memory that child that Robert Baratheon had sired in the Vale and she grimaced, hoping that when the babe was born it would be well cared for.

She was glad this his gaze had not landed upon her earlier and all the more glad that she had been out in the gardens for most of her time here.

"The sun's beginning to go down," Lily said finally as she noted how the rays were turning the tree tops to gold. "Perhaps we should be getting back. The feast will be starting soon."

She was about to get up when Elia caught hold of her hand. "Thank you Lady Lilian."

The Tully girl smiled. "It's just Lily please."

"Very well, then I insist on you calling me Elia," the other woman said. "Believe it or not you are the first honest person I have met since I arrived here."

"There aren't very many," Lily agreed. "If I am called honest perhaps it is my more wild sensibilities. My father said that honor is everything because its in our house words. However there are times when I disagree."

"What do you mean?"

Lily looked down at her hands sadly, remembering Harry and James Potter from her first life, the family that had been taken from her all too soon.

"Family is more important than honor," she said. "What is honor when all your loved ones are dead? Honor is not going to embrace you before you fall asleep at night. Honor is not going to love you when you fear no one else will. Honor is cold and grim and it doesn't care about the sacrifices it asks you to make.

There comes a time when honor must be put aside."

Elia gave her a sad smile. "You are far too young to speak of such things. You sound as if you must have lived another life to know what you say."

Lily grimaced and was glad that Elia had turned away to face the heart tree again wistfully.

"Do you think they listen to us?" she asked.

Lily regarded the tree with its red eyes that were full of sap and ever watchful, remembering the cold finality of death in that harsh room after she had been forced to say goodbye to Harry and James. "If they do….it isn't to help us."

She reached out a hand and helped Elia to her feet. "We need to depend only on people that we trust in this world, and more often than not those people are few."

"Perhaps," Elia said quietly. "But I think I've just been lucky enough to meet one of those rare few."

Lily smiled shyly. "Thank you your grace."

"Please don't call me that, I'm not even married yet and draped beneath the Targaryen cloak."

Lily chuckled softly and smiled at her. "Not yet, but by the end of this week you will."

Elia looked at her for a long moment. "What you said earlier about their being few people we can trust, Queen Rhaella told me the same thing. She said to choose no less than three ladies to be my companions here at court. Too few than that is to show favoritism and if you were to pick more than five you cannot keep track of them. She said it is an intricate game that all women play to earn the favor of the next queen." Elia looked. "By the Seven, things were not this complicated in Dorne."

"Nor were they in the riverlands," Lily said chuckling.

Elia turned serious again. "You've proven this evening that you are one of those rare people I can trust. I would like you to be one of my companions."

Lily was pleasantly surprised. She knew her father expected her and all of her siblings to fit in at court and represent the Tully name but this was better than she had hoped for. She had assumed after the royal wedding they would remain for a few weeks before all five of her siblings and her father went back to the Riverlands.

She realized then that Elia Martell was still waiting for an answer from her.

"Yes," Lily said quietly suddenly feeling as if the entire world had shifted. "Yes I would be honored to be one of your companions your grace."

Elia smiled but Lily felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach for she knew somewhere that she wouldn't be having any peace and quiet for a long time to come.

Ω

 **So I know that I said Brynden would learn about Lily's magic in this chapter but there never seemed to be a good time so I thought I would leave it for now. But at least now we know that Lily is going to be staying in the capital for the foreseeable future. You all know that Elia Martell is one of my favorite characters of all time and House Martell is my favorite of the seven so they are going to play a unique role in this story too. Brynden Tully is going to learn of her magic before he leaves King's Landing however. Also, Oberyn will make an appearance in the next chapter as Lily is going to have a unique relationship with him too. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"When did this happen?" Lysa hissed later that evening as she and Lily were following their father and Ed down the hall towards the throne room where the feast was to be held.

Lily shrugged. "No more than an hour ago. And why are you so surprised?"

Lysa looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes but somehow managed to restrain herself at the last minute. "Because at the very least this is terribly unorthodox of you. You hate the very idea of court politics and I think you and I would both agree that you're far from a lady. So why on earth did Princess Elia, the future queen I might add, pick you to be one of her companions here at court? It doesn't make any sense."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if I should be offended by that."

This time Lysa did roll her eyes. "You know what I mean. Sometimes I think you'd rather be a knight than a lady. And yet you get to be one at court. Do you know how many other girls here would kill for a position like this?"

"No and I don't care to know," Lily replied tersely. "I spoke to Princess Elia because I felt sorry for her. She seemed so alone and she's about to be married off to a man that she doesn't know. She needs some support around her and if I can be the one to give it well….then that's what I'll do."

Lysa just stared at her for a moment. "You always were the mother of the rest of us, you know that don't you? And now you're going to be doing that for someone who's at least nine years older than you. How old is the Martell princess anyway?"

"I believe she's three and twenty," Lily said absently. "And I will not be mothering her. She needs a friend."

"Didn't she bring a retinue from Dorne?"

"Just one other girl I think," the younger red head replied. "I believe her name was Ashara Dayne. I'll probably meet her tonight."

"Gods this is insane," Lysa muttered. "Have you told father yet?"

"No," Lily snapped turning to her older sister. "And you can't tell him. I'll tell him before the week is out. I don't want him to hear it from anyone else but me."

"Well then if I were you, I would tell him even sooner than that. People are going to be talking especially all the ladies. And the last think you want is to become court gossip."

Lily was the one to roll her eyes this time. "Please I think all of the ladies will be too busy gossiping about Rhaegar Targaryen to pay any attention to me."

A dreamy look crossed Lysa's face. "He certainly is beautiful isn't he?"

The younger red head shrugged. "I suppose."

She had gone in with the Arryn retinue to be introduced to the king and his family and had glimpsed the three Targaryens standing atop the dais. The king was sitting on his throne, a truly ugly chair with a black iron crown atop his head. Privately Lily had thought the piece looked more like some sort of torture device than accoutrement but that was something she would never say.

His purple eyes were bloodshot and seemed out of focus, always darting around to rest on something or anything that moved. His clothes had hung limply on his frame as if he suffered from malnutrition and his skin was pale and waxy like papyrus. His features which might have once been attractive were thin and narrow allowing Lily see many of the veins in his face also causing her to shudder. He appeared to be a wraith barely clinging to life.

Lily knew she would never with a Dementor on anyone but this made seemed to have had the soul sucked out of him by an unspeakable monster leaving only a grey husk behind.

It was both unnerving and downright eerie.

Next to him had been Queen Rhaella, a truly stunning woman even though there were thin lines creasing her forehead and a smile that didn't reach all the way to her eyes. There was years of sorrow in those purple irises and Lily had immediately felt sorry for her.

She was certain behind those eyes hid years of hurt and silent misery being yoked to this man. Incest was bad enough but when it translated into some of the whispers she had heard noised around the Riverlands well….it threw into sharp relief how different things were here.

There had been incest to be sure in magical England, but not to the degree of marrying brother to sister. Sirius had once told her that his parents were cousins themselves and she had promptly been disgusted.

To think of brother marrying sister here made her feel downright ill.

And then standing to the king's right had been his eldest son and heir Rhaegar Targaryen.

One look at his face and Lily could understand why every woman in the keep had their eyes glued to him. He was truly exquisite in form and features with hair as silvery as some of the pillars on the walls and skin the color of marble but with striking violet eyes and well built solid features, it wasn't hard to imagine him without those clothes either.

It was a thought that had caused Lily privately to cringe.

But then she had looked at him, _really_ looked at him and discovered something she wasn't certain she liked.

There was an air of….complacency about him….almost as if he were present but his mind was far away somewhere that no one else could reach.

Those eyes were almost empty and emotionless making him appear no more than a beautiful statue carved out of marble, something to be admired but not loved.

And that was when Lily truly did shudder.

"You suppose?" Lysa asked incredulously. "Rhaegar Targaryen is the most beautiful man in the Seven Kingdoms and you are downplaying that?"

"Lysa when have I ever been impressed by a pretty face?" Lily demanded in hushed tones.

"Point taken," the other girl said. "But even I didn't think you would be immune to someone like that."

"Well that was your first mistake," Lily replied as they arrived at the door of the chambers to the throne room.

At that moment her father who had been striding along ahead of them with Ed on his right and Cat on his left turned to the other two girls.

"Now then," he said. "I expect you to conduct yourselves with all of the respect and dignity befitting a child of House Tully. There are many people beyond these doors and opinions that matter. Do your best to impress. Do I make myself clear?"

He eyed Lily and Lysa a bit longer than the other two as he said these words and the younger red head stifled the urge to roll her eyes.

She suddenly wished she had opted to stay in her chambers looking after Axel for the evening. Petyr had already left for the feast with his father no more than an hour earlier so there would be no support from him either.

No matter, she had obligations beyond her father now.

"Yes father," they all chorused and the auburn haired man nodded. "Good."

And with that the doors were opened for them and the small party of trout from House Tully trooped into a packed throne room.

Ω

 _I once thought that Hogwarts was the most regal castle I had ever seen,_ Lily thought as she walked into the throne room. _But now I do believe I stand corrected._

It was a large throne room and had galleries on the left side of the room in which one could watch court proceedings. There were six large pillars in the room as well, three on each side and they were surrounded in their lower half by steel grates that contained firewood to be lit when it was cold. The pillars went up at least fifty feet and the ceiling of the throne room was lofty like that of a church in the way it came up in a triangle formation.

Even though she had seen it already, with the sun going down the high window with its seven pointed star shaded a black sky with diamond like stars beyond.

The heady smell of incense filled the room and Lily could see candles drowning in their own wax.

The low rumble of many voices talking flooded the chamber and the red head was confronted with a vast amount of people all dressed to the nines in their house colors.

She allowed herself a brief moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath. _Just picture it as if it were the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. Everyone is doing their best to impress everyone else and it will be no different here. Just keep your head down, don't be too reclusive, maybe talk to Elbert if the situation presents itself. Stay a respectable amount of time and then maybe it will be acceptable to go to bed. I didn't really want to come to this stupid feast anyway._  
She gave herself a once over as she stopped beside one of the outer braziers of the throne room. _At least I look nice…I think._

Instead of wearing her house colors of blue and red, Lily had opted for a green silk dress to stave off the heat from the capital. The Riverlands had always been blessedly cool with their forests and fresh running water so she was unused to the near oppressive heat of the capital. The dress was sleeveless and embroidered at the shoulders. It covered her upper back but left the small of it open to give some relief from the heat. It brushed the floor but didn't impair her forward motions and other than some lace embroidered around the shoulders and collar it had no other adornments.

It was simple, but simple was what Lily liked.

Her hair had been piled haphazardly on her head so it was half up and half down with her long red curls hanging down her back. There was a silver pin of a trout attached to the largest cluster of curls so there was her house pride.

Every other member of her family had opted to wear blue however so her ever green choice made her stick out like a sore thumb.

"Children, wait here," Hoster Tully said somewhat abruptly. "I see someone I wish to speak to."

Without another word he left them standing by the brazier and strode off into the crowd. Lily had to stand on her tip toes to see the object of interest to him and then rolled her eyes when she saw that it was Lord Arryn.

An uneasy feeling filled her then. _I hope I didn't lay on the possibility of a union between the East and the Riverlands too thick. I am only fourteen after all._

 _Liar,_ said a dark little voice in the back of her mind. _You're actually in your thirties between two lives but no one can ever find that out can they?_

The red head grimaced and looked about for a distraction.

Surprisingly enough she found it a few seconds later.

Standing a few feet from the royal dais at the front of the throne room was Princess Elia herself. Beside her was Prince Rhaegar dressed in deep red fringed with black. There was a thin silver circlet resting upon his brow and even from this distance he looked quite striking.

But there was something about him that just….didn't appeal to Lily at all, a coldness perhaps that she didn't like.

She could almost see a likeness between him and Lucius Malfoy who had graduated when she was only in her third year of school. He had been a cold imperious bastard however who had had far too many ties to the dark arts for her liking. She had breathed a collective sigh of relief when he had left Hogwarts for good.

Next to his cold silver moonlike persona, Princess Elia was like a warm sun. It was rather ironic that that was her house symbol.

She was dressed in a deep burnt orange dress that brought out the golden tones in her olive toned skin. Her long black hair hung in ringlets down her back and like Rhaegar she bore a circlet on her forehead but this one carried several small stones that looked like ambers and was gold. Her dress was also sleeveless and had a plunging neckline in the southern style. She wore no jewelry but on her upper left arm there was circled a golden armband.

Her hands were folded in front of her and she was looking about the room as if searching for someone. Her and the prince seemed to be completely unaware of each other as their eyes were glued to different parts of the room.

Standing next to Elia was a woman that Lily looked vaguely familiar. She had long dark hair and was wearing a deep purple dress that was sleeveless and off the shoulder. It was cinched at the waist and fell past her feet to the floor. She had fair skin and eyes so blue they were almost purple.

For a moment Lily wondered if this was the queen Rhaella and then nixed the thought as this woman appeared to be much younger.

She was standing closer to Elia than a normal acquaintance would have allowed to Lily concluded quickly that the two must know each other.

 _Ah, this must be Ashara Dayne._

A moment later, Prince Rhaegar seemed to have spotted whoever he was looking for as he said something briefly to the princess before starting off across the room.

Elia's eyes followed him for a moment before the dark haired woman leaned over and whispered something in her ear that caused the brunette to smile slightly.

It was just then that her eyes latched hold of Lily's from across the room and the smile grew. She raised her hand and beckoned slightly and the red head oddly enough felt a sense of relief.

Without a word to her siblings, she raised the hem of her dress and started away from the brazier.

"Lily! Where are you going?" Catelyn hissed from behind her. "Father said to stay here."

"There's someone I need to see," Lily replied from over her shoulder. "I shouldn't be long."

"Who?" her older sister demanded but the other red head never responded as she had now moved completely away.

It was a longer walk than she thought getting across the room and she had to deviate around dancing patrons and old men talking politics but finally she made it to the dais before stopping in front of the Dornish princess and sweeping into a deep curtsy. "Your grace."

"Hello Lily," Elia said with a smile once the younger girl had straightened up. "I thought I saw you across the room. I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine who's come with me from Dorne. She'll be staying in the capital with me like you. This is Ashara Dayne."

The red head and the brunette glanced at each other as if sizing the other up before smiling and nodding. The Dayne girl was very beautiful and Lily wondered if it was due to the fact that her brother served on the Kingsguard that she was here.  
House Dayne was one of the oldest houses in Dorne and a sworn banner of House Martell so it wasn't altogether unusual that she was here.

She was bound to attract a lot of attention here with her looks though.

"You're Lord Tully's youngest daughter?" the brunette asked and Lily nodded. "I am so he doesn't pay as much attention to what I do."

"Its kind of nice being the youngest," Ashara agreed. "Although I don't have any sisters to distract my father so he wants to marry me off as soon as possible. I think that's why my father sent me here."

"We'll find a good match for you," Elia said with warmth in her tone. "There's bound to be plenty of nobles here in the next few weeks who would give their eye teeth for any bit of favor from the crown."

Her tone had hardened slightly towards the end of her speech causing Lily to raise an eyebrow.

Ashara seemed to sense her change in mood too for she spoke up a second later. "Well no rush on that. I'm not even eight and ten yet. How old are you Lilian?"

"It's Lily," the red head said. "I really don't like Lilian, it's an old name and not even a family one so I don't know why my father gave it to me. And there's no rush for me either. I'll be five and ten soon."

"You're so young," Ashara said with surprise. "Is your father alright with you staying what could possibly be years in the capital at this age?"

 _I'm older than you could possibly imagine,_ Lily thought with a touch of cynicism but she didn't show it. Ashara's question had been asked out of innocence so it would be answered in the same manner as well.

"To tell you the truth," she said and then paused. "I haven't actually told him about your proposal your grace."

"No?" Elia asked raising an eyebrow. "Ought you not to soon? The wedding is the end of this week."

"I will," Lily promised. "I can't see how he would have a problem with it however. My father is the sort of man who looks for any advantage he can."

Elia sighed. "Most nobles are like that unfortunately. Even if the lot hadn't been invited most would have shown up anyway. They're like wolves circling a dying animal. They smell the blood."

Lily and Ashara exchanged a speculative look. It was no secret that the Targaryens had been on the decline and had been for decades. But the fire at Summerhall had thrown into sharp relief just how weak the dragons had become. The birth of only one other boy besides the crown prince was even more reminder that they had to marry and expand as soon as possible.

Fairly soon it would be expected that Elia bear as many children as possible to bolster the bloodline.

Just thinking about that made Lily cringe.

"Well what are Ashara and I here for?" she asked. "We prevent them from getting to you don't we?"

"That's right," the brunette said having caught on quickly. "Lily and I will be here to make sure you only hear what's necessary and ignore what's not useful. It's why you chose us isn't it?"

Their banter seemed to work, prompting a small smile out of the Dornish princess. "That's true and you're already very good at it."

Lily shrugged and smiled. "I have two older sister and two younger brothers. Distractions are things I think I am experienced at."

Ashara chuckled and then looked about the room. "Where is your family Lily? I've already met Elia's brother and seen the prince's family."

Lily glanced over to the pillar surrounded by a burning brazier across the room where her siblings were still waiting. Only difference was that this time, Lysa, Cat and Ed were all staring at her.

To make matters worse, Petyr just stepped out from behind Cat and was now looking at her with the most confused look she had ever seen on his face.

It took some effort to refrain from cringing.

This was going to take a lot of explaining.

"Wasn't your sister supposed to be marrying Brandon Stark within a year or two?" Ashara asked with interest.

"She is," Lily said and barely stifled the urge to roll her eyes. "In fact I believe he's here now. It's honestly a miracle that she and my father aren't with him."

"Is your other sister promised to anyone yet?" Elia asked and Lily shook her head.

She knew that Jaime Lannister was the ultimate prize for Lysa but she wasn't going to say anything about that until it was official. After all, he was the heir to the west and she was certain that there were going to be plenty of eligible females eyeing him in the near future.

"My father has some ideas but nothing established yet," she replied evasively. "He's been a bit preoccupied lately."

"So has everyone it seems," Elia muttered.

She said this as she glanced across the room towards a silvery blonde head of hair which was in conversation with a bald man wearing rather garish robes that reminded Lily eerily of Professor Dumbledore.

"Who is that man?" she asked.

"That would be Lord Varys," Ashara replied. "He is the Master of Whispers on the Small Council. If there is ever to be a piece of gossip in this city that involves the royal family, he will know about it."

Lily's eyes narrowed as she took him in. A man like that had few allegiances. He would bear watching while she was here.

Elia sighed. "Speaking of gossip, I think that's quite enough for one evening."

"I agree," Ashara replied. "We still need to plan your wedding after all."

"You mean it isn't done yet?" Lily asked feeling shocked. "It's the end of this week after all isn't it?"

Ashara and Elia chuckled as if they had a secret. "A jest Lily. Everything was finished weeks ago. The king saw to it that preparations were completed well in advance of this week."

The blonde girl looked as if she wished to roll her eyes but at the same time managed to control herself.

Lily cast a wary eye at the skinny wraith sitting atop the throne with bloodshot purple eyes. He almost didn't look human and for a moment Lily was reminded of the snake like qualities of Voldemort himself.

She hated that his face was the last one she had seen before she spoke to Death itself.

For a moment she wondered if it was possible that she hadn't been the only one reincarnated and then brushed the thought off as ridiculous. If Voldemort had been reincarnated in this life surely he would have used his magic and power as king to do far greater and terrible things than Aerys had done.

No, she was certain that Aerys was nothing more than a Muggle. Even still however…a Muggle could be dangerous.

And speaking of danger, Lily didn't see him until he was standing a few feet away but see him she did….although not before he saw her.

"Look alive," Ashara muttered. "It seems we have caught the attention of Lord Tully."

Sure enough, the lord paramount of the Riverlands, had stopped to speak to a noble standing several feet away but during the course of that conversation, his eyes had glanced up and caught sight of the future queen. They had brightened slightly but when he saw Lily standing with them, his blue eyes had narrowed.

A moment later, he extricated himself from the conversation he was in and began to make his way towards them.

 _Act natural._

"Your grace," he said formally stopping in front of Elia and bowing.

"Lord Tully," the brunette replied serenely. "We were just talking about you."

Lily gave her new friend a serious case of the cut eye which Elia ignored in favor of a sweet smile at the older red head.

"You were your grace," Hoster said with some confusion.

"Indeed," Elia replied. "Lilian speaks very highly of you. "Her words of praise lend her credit and has done much to convince me to keep her at court as one of my ladies."

 _Eloquence thy name is Elia Martell._

Lily had never seen her father shocked before but judging from the way his eyes opened and closed and his hands twisted together, he was indeed flummoxed.

"You…You have your grace?" he said.

"Indeed," the Martell girl returned. "She is a special person Lady Lilian and I would have her here to serve me. The time here will afford her many opportunities I am sure."

"Of….Of course," the lord replied. He turned and fixed Lily with a severe look that clearly said they would talk later before bowing to Elia again. "House Tully is honored by your display of favor your grace. I have no doubt that Lilian will be happy to serve."

"Of that I have do doubt," Elia said sounding almost smug and Lily dug her finger nails into her palms hard enough to draw blood. Merlin but she hated the subtle game of politics. Sev was far better at such intricacies.

The memory of the dark haired Slytherin caused a stab of pain to be felt in her chest and she angrily pushed it away.

Now was not the time.

Elia in the mean time had used Lily's inner turmoil to introduce Ashara to Hoster and the two were exchanging polite pleasantries.

The red head took the time to glance back at the pillar and then saw that all of her siblings plus Petyr were standing in a semi circle all staring at them.

She sighed briefly and closed her eyes for a moment. No doubt she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight with all the explaining she was going to have to do.

Ah well.

Ω

"So let me get this straight," Petyr said later. "You're going to be spending the next few months possibly years in the capital serving Princess Elia and possibly the rest of the Targaryens?"

It was a few hours later and Lily had been avoiding the rest of her siblings. She had thought she had gotten lucky and all had gone to bed but as it turned out she had once more underestimated Petyr. He had been lurking in the hallway waiting to snag her as she left.

There were times when Lily did wish she were more like a Slytherin. If she were, she might have anticipated his lying in wait for her and disillusioned herself so she could walk to her room in peace.

But then that might have been the cowardly thing to do and if there was one thing Lilian Tully wasn't it was a coward.

"Just Princess Elia," she sighed as they paused by the moonlight garden. "And why is this so hard to believe?"

"Because its so unlike you," Petyr said running a hand through his hair. "You're not a lady. Not really?"

"Is that so?" Lily asked placing her hands on her hips. "Well then tell me Petyr, what am I?"

Too late Baelish realized his blunder and he swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to say that you don't have all the qualities of a lady. I merely meant that its not something you've ever aspired to be."

"Really?" Lily asked raising an eyebrow. "Let me ask you this then. What is the definition of a lady?"  
The question appeared to stump Petyr for he blinked at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. How would you define a lady if I'm so obviously not one?"

The red head had rarely seen her friend speechless throughout their friendship but now was quite obviously one of those times.

"Well since you can't seem to speak for the moment allow me to provide you with an explanation," she fairly snapped. "A lady is not the clothes she wears, or the manners she possesses, or how educated she is, or her family name. Those are simply adjectives ascribed to being a lady, a mere idea, nothing more. A lady is someone who is compassionate, kind, selfless, empathetic, resourceful, strong, courageous and intelligent. A lady is not someone who spends her time embroidering cloth or playing instruments or learning to dance and smile prettily. A lady is about who you are, not what you do. And in that regard I think I'm more of a lady than everyone else in this city."

There was a long silence following this speech in which Petyr did little else but blink. Lily sighed.

"Look. You may not like this and that's okay. You may not even understand it and that's okay too. But I'm doing what I think is right. And this way, the longer I spend in the capital I'll fly beneath my father's marriage plans. In fact, this way I might get to choose someone that I actually like. I don't really want to marry, but I also recognize that that mindset is not practical in the world we live in. Here at least I may have some choice."

A shadow passed over Petyr's face then but Lily wasn't sure if it was from the moon or some indefinable emotion. "Is that truly how you feel?"

Lily nodded. "It is."

"Very well then," she said somewhat stiffly. "But who's going to explain to Axel that you're not coming home?"

Lily grimaced at the thought of her baby brother. "I'll tell him."

"Good," Petyr said. "Because I don't want to answer his questions about why his favorite sister decided to stay in the capital instead of in the Riverlands."

And then he turned and marched off without another word leaving a flabbergasted Lily behind.

 _What in Merlin's name was that all about?_

Irritated with her friend for being irrationally annoyed, Lily decided she wasn't ready for bed yet and decided to continue making her way through the gardens. She hadn't seen all of them yet and if this was going to be her home for the next little while it might help if she was familiar with it.

Not far away from the moonlight garden with its iridescent white blooms, was the godswood. Even though Lily had already seen it, its size was much bigger than that of the one at Riverrun and she paused to admire it again.

She had no sooner stopped when the sound of footsteps sounded coming down the path toward her and she blinked in alarm.

By all rights she should be in bed this might very well have been Hoster coming to look for. Deciding that she had had enough of confrontations for one night, Lily scurried beneath the trees and pressed her back against one of the thick dark woods hoping whoever it was would pass by and be on their way.

But as it turned out, the footsteps morphed into a voice and then voices of two people Lily had never heard before.

"I don't want to marry the Tully girl father."

"Lower your voice, I do not wish for the entire keep to hear the source of your complaining."

At the word Tully Lily's ears perked up and she turned around and muttered the disillusionment charm so she could get a better look at who was speaking without them seeing her.

At what she saw was very interesting.

Coming slowly down the path towards her was a tall blonde man in deep red colors wearing a bronze pin which was attached to the breast pocket of his tunic. His fair hair was neatly combed to one side and he was quite tall. His hands were folded behind his back and he had a rather severe face.

 _Tywin Lannister._

Walking along beside him was clearly his son as he looked far too much like the Hand of the King for there to not be some familial relations.

Jaime Lannister himself was quite good looking but there was something about the way he carried himself that Lily wasn't sure that she liked. He walked almost like a cat that had just been fed. His handsome face had the look of one who was entitled and expected to be treated like others knew it too.

"Surely there's someone else," the younger Lannister was saying as they walked slowly by. "Anyone else."

"Do not pretend that you have looked into potential brides for yourself," Tywin Lannister said in acerbic tones. "You who spend all your time with a sword in your hand and care nothing for our name or legacy. You will marry who I tell you do. The Tully girl is as good as any other and there are no others. Your sister has been denied the right of queen and so she will do her duty as will you and marry as well as she can. We have been scorned by the king but we will do out utmost to remind the rest of the realm that Lannisters bow to no one."

 _Who better for you to marry than my sister?_ Lily thought tersely as she watched the pair of them continue down the garden path. _Just who do you think you are? Ah yes, a Lannister who is every bit as entitled as the Malfoys. If I thought Aerys was like Voldemort than it wouldn't surprise me if Tywin Lannister is Lucius Malfoy. I suppose his son is what Lucius' might have grown up to be. I suppose he'll have gone to school with Harry._

A stab of pain caused her to suck in a breath and she hissed it out through her teeth. Enough.

She released the spell on herself and closed her eyes for a second. So Jaime Lannister didn't want to marry her sister did he?

The red head sighed and emerged from the trees and looked down the path where the two Lannisters had gone. Irritation coiled and snapped within her like a whip. Lysa might not have been the most outgoing person or the most intelligent but she was still her sister and family was part of their house words.

 _You'll treat her right Lannister,_ she thought through gritted teeth. _Or I'm coming after you._

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the sounds of someone behind her until a hand landed on her shoulder.

Lily sucked in a breath and whirled around already mentally preparing herself to see her father's face.

But again, she was surprised.

Standing before her in the moonlight at least a head taller than she, was a dark haired young man with piercing grey eyes. He was quite attractive and dressed in muted dark grey colors.

For a moment Lily fumbled trying to remember his name and then caught sight of the grey pin of the wolf's head on his doublet and snorted.

A Stark.

For his part the young man had been wearing a smirk but when he saw her face he blinked and frowned. "My apologies. I thought that – "

"I don't really care what you thought," Lily all but snapped. She had observed Brandon Stark from across the room and noticed that he had carefully kept a distance between himself and her sister and family. "What a surprise to see you finally conversing with us. We Tullys don't all look alike do we? For instance, I am the only one of my siblings that has green eyes. But you wouldn't know that because it would seem you've spent all evening avoiding every Tully in King's Landing Brandon Stark."

The heir to Winterfell blinked and then took a step back. "How did you – "

"Oh don't be an idiot," Lily said rolling her eyes. "I pay enough attention which is something you clearly don't do. I knew who you were even though you decided that getting to know my sister wasn't worthy of your time. How dare you?"

This conversation clearly was not going the way that Stark hoped for he took a step back. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," Lily said feeling her irritation spike. First Jaime Lannister didn't want anything to do with Lysa and now this Stark, the Starks who were supposed to be honorable to a fault, was writing off Cat before he even got to know her. "How dare you think yourself above a marriage to my sister? I haven't been in the capital for very long but this place is full of upstarts and arrogant bastards. But I didn't think a Stark would be one of them. It's a miracle Eddard isn't anything like you."

He continued to gape at her and Lily took the opportunity to keep going. A small part of her told her she was going a bit irrational having never spoken to Brandon Stark before but tact wasn't something she was known for and defending those she loved was.

She had had a brief conversation earlier with Cat before the feast where she had closely questioned her sister about what she thought of Brandon Stark.

And there she had learned the truth.

Though Cat was pleased she was going to be the Lady of the North one day, she possessed a measured degree of sadness for how Brandon Stark seemed less than interested in her and whenever the four of them had met, he hadn't so much as said a word to her.

She had even confessed to Lily that she wanted a marriage like their parents had had, a loving committed one where she wouldn't have to worry if her husband was going to stray.

And Lily had learned from Elbert whilst in the Vale that Brandon Stark had made it a habit to frequent the northern brothels.

She hadn't said a word of this to Cat knowing it would only upset her but the thought of her lovely sometimes too uptight sister being married to a man who spent time with whores made her sick to her stomach.

Well she was going to set him straight now.

Taking a step forward, uncaring that she was a head shorter then him, Lily jabbed a finger into his chest. "If I hear if you treating my sister poorly, you'll be hearing from me. You Starks claim to have honor but I have yet to see or hear about any of it from you. Watch yourself, because I certainly will be."

Then feeling as if she had made her point and completely nonchalant about the fact that she had all but threatened an heir of a great house, Lily whirled around and stamped off leaving a gaping Brandon Stark in her wake who was wondering whether or not his sister had somehow made her way to the capital and had grown red hair.

He had never expected a daughter of a southern lord to be so…fiery. But then all the girls he had met down here were soft, pliable and far too eager to please, Catelyn Tully among them.

She was pretty enough in her own right but she was, well…boring. There was nothing about her that would keep his attention for long and no matter how his father had pressed him, Brandon couldn't picture himself marrying her.

What he wanted was a girl with fire, someone with life who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, to tell it like it was.

And maybe he had just found her.

Ω

"Well done Lilian," Hoster said the following morning when the Tully family met for breakfast in his rooms. "I expected for all of you children to ingratiate yourself at court and you have done beyond that."

Ed looked confused. "What are you talking about father?"

Hoster gave his heir a wry look. "Your sister has been invited to remain in the capital as one of the companions of Princess Elia Martell. The role was offered to her yesterday."

Catelyn who had been delicately sipping on a glass of well watered wine choked and had to be patted on the back by Lysa. "Was this what happened last night?" she sputtered.

"Aye," Hoster said casting an approving eye on Lily that internally made her want to cringe. "I have to admit I had my doubts about allowing you to go to the Vale but it seems you learned something of value there that has been put into practice here. Well done daughter."

Lily said nothing and simply nibbled on the piece of bread on her plate in front of her. Accepting her father's praise felt strange, especially when she had so often not received it.

Cat was still staring at her as if she didn't know who she was and Petyr had a dark look on his face.

He hadn't spoken to her since last night but Lily was still irritated with him too so she decided she wasn't going to talk to him until he opened his mouth first.

Ed in the meantime was making no effort to keep his mouth closed. "Lily's going to be living in the capital?"

Lysa rolled her eyes. "Well it would be hard to be one of the companions of Princess Elia if she went back to Riverrun Ed."

Brynden Tully snorted into his goblet of wine. He had been one of the last to learn of the new developments and hadn't said anything about it other than to fix Lily with a long and pointed look that clearly said they would talk later.

Cat had opened her mouth several times since the announcement had been made but every time she closed it as if thinking better of what she was going to say.

Finally, Lily herself decided to speak up. "Yes Ed I am going to be here for the next little while. I don't know how long but it will be until either Cat or Lysa's wedding or maybe until my own. I don't know, and does it really matter? All the wedding festivities will be over in a few weeks anyway and then you will all be going home. Can we please all keep our heads?"

There was a long moment of silence as each and every one of her siblings plus Petyr and with the exception of Axel who was too busy playing with his porridge, looked at each other before giving tentative nods.

Petyr left a moment later muttering something about meeting his father and Lily followed his path out the door with a sigh.

She didn't understand why he was so irritated when he heard the news. After all it wasn't like they were all going to be at Riverrun forever, he would marry in a few years and so would she, not that she was looking forward to it.

As she turned back around in her chair, she noted that Lysa's eyes had followed Petyr out as well and her own narrowed.

So far she was certain that her best friend and her sister hadn't talked about anything regarding what Lysa had told her before they had left for the Vale and she was wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.

However, maybe spending the next little while in the capital was a good thing. It would give Lysa and Petyr an opportunity to spend some time together. And if Lysa was still paying attention to Petyr than that meant that she was as eager to marry Jaime Lannister as he was to marry her.

Lily wholeheartedly supported the idea of her best friend and her sister. They had grown up together after all and there was the possibility for real love to sprout between them.

She hoped.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door and Hoster's head jerked towards it. "Come!"

A moment later the door opened to reveal a servant dressed in demure colors and carrying a letter in front of him. "Your pardon Lord Tully but I come with a message for Lady Lilian from Princess Elia."

All muttered conversation about the breakfast table went silent then as five sets of eyes swung back and forth between Lily and the servant.

Hoster nodded at Lily who rose from her chair to receive it and peruse its contents quickly.

It seemed that the princess had a desire to visit the markets that day and she wished for Lily to come with her.

"What does it say?" Cat demanded and Hoster gave her a brief glare.

"I have been invited for a day of shopping with Princess Elia and Lady Ashara Dayne in King's Landing today," Lily said, eyes scanning the letter.

"Good," Hoster said after a moment's silence and clapped his hands together. "Go and ready yourself then. It would not be a good idea to keep the future queen waiting."

And just like that, Lily realized she had stepped into a new world.

Ω

 **Well, it seems Lily has met a lot of new people in this story. Next chapter is the wedding, revelation of her magic to Brynden and then her time in the capital truly begins. We're getting into AU territory now, so stay tuned.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 _Did it really have to be so bloody hot here? I'm afraid my dress is going to melt right off me!_

Absently, Lily tugged at the collar of her dress with a grimace. The two guards who followed behind them, whom were brought with the princess from Dorne as well as Ser Harlan Grandison of the Kingsguard were carrying coverings but those mostly went to the princess and she and Ashara only managed then when the footing of the guards turned the parasols in their direction.

It was a beautiful afternoon but at the same time there was a conglomerate of clouds far off out in the bay that promised rain later in the day. Soon enough the wind would pick up and Lily hoped that this shopping trip would be over before then.

"You're awfully quiet," Ashara said to her as they passed a certain stall laid over with bolts of exotic fabric. "Something on your mind?"

"Not really," Lily replied trailing one of her hands across the edge of one of the tables they walked past.

"Is it family related?" the other girl wisely guessed. "There are only two things I find that cause a woman's face to appear downcast. The first is a romantic experience gone wrong and the second is family related. Now pardon me for assuming but you are still quite young for the first so it must be the second."

Lily raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "I'm impressed. How did you get to be so astute?"

Ashara rolled her eyes. "One of the benefits to being a woman is that no one asks you for your opinion on anything. So you get to be very good at watching people and determining what their motives and desires are. Also, being a female in this world means only caring about two things, being a good wife and a good daughter and since you are not yet married yet and you are here in the capital with all of your family and your father, it was rather simple to conclude what was on your mind."

Lily made a mental note to never underestimate Ashara again. She had seemed rather quiet when she had met her the night before but now there appeared to be a social astuteness to the brunette that would serve Lily well in a snake pit like the capital. She was suddenly very glad that the brunette would be one of Elia's other companions.

"Very well," she said. "Since I told my family I would be staying in the capital, every single one of them has been strange."

"How so?" the brunette asked as they continued to walk along behind Elia.

The red head raised an arm to block out the sun and stifled a grimace as a rather revolting smell drifted past her nose. Most likely it had come from someone emptying a chamber pot into the street. The lack of public plumbing in this world still appalled and disgusted her at times.

"Well my father is quite pleased," she began. "He thinks that my being here will prompt a good match being made for me. My two older sisters are simply stunned and my younger brother is flummoxed. But the worst reaction has come from someone who I call a friend."

"Would this be that rather slender boy with brown hair who was standing with your family last night? Petyr Baelish is it?"

"Yes," Lily replied. "He's been fostered in Riverrun for as long as I can remember and we've grown up together. We've always laughed and had fun together but when I told him that I would be staying in the capital for the indefinite future he became angry, citing that he wouldn't be the one to tell my youngest brother that I was leaving him."

"That seems a bit harsh," Ashara mused with a frown. "Did he say anything else?"

Lily thought back to the previous night and then frowned as one particular detail came to mind. "Actually, I remember him being upset when the idea of marriage was brought up. I don't really like the idea of someone being chosen for me so I told him that maybe my being here will allow me to choose who I want to marry, or at least get to know the person that's chosen for me before hand. He didn't seem to like that much."

Ashara raised an eyebrow and then to Lily's surprise began to chuckle. "Well there's a rather obvious reason for that Lily."

The red head narrowed her eyes. "There is?"

The brunette's chuckle morphed into a laugh. "I forgot how young you were. He has feelings for you Lily. Anyone could see that and he is afraid that should you live the next few years in the capital, you will forget about him and that this may be the last time he has with you."

Lily frowned. "Don't be absurd Ashara, Petyr couldn't possibly feel that way about me."

"Oh?" the brunette asked folding her hands across her chest. "And why not?"

 _Yes,_ a dark little voice in the back of Lily's mind asked. _Why is that so impossible? After all wasn't there another dark haired boy that you grew up with a long time ago that felt the same way about you? I wonder what happened to him?_

Lily sucked the air through her teeth as she contemplated the ramifications of what Ashara had said. Thankfully there weren't any dark lords in this world for Petyr to join and no one had treated him badly as the Gryffindors had Severus but there was an inherent bitterness to him that was eerily similar to her Slytherin best friend.

But Petyr's father wasn't abusive like Sev's had been and he was taking an active part in his life. Surely things couldn't turn out the exact same way could they?

 _Don't you dare blame yourself for Sev! He made his choice. He chose the dark lord and his minions long before he fell in love with you. He had a completely different home life from Petyr and Petyr's had good influences. You didn't reject Sev and that's what drove him to Voldemort. No, he had made his choice a long time ago. Petyr doesn't have anyone to bully him here. It's a harmless crush and it will pass. It has to._

But she said none of that. Instead all that came from her were the words, "Oh no."

"I take it that this isn't welcome news," Ashara observed.

"Not really," Lily replied and ran a hand through her hair. "I must be more naïve than I thought. Or maybe I was just ignoring the signs, I don't know. All I know is that this isn't good."

"I take it that he wouldn't be a suitable match in your father's eyes," Ashara offered.

"Not even that," Lily said. "I could care less about suitable matches and alliances even though I know my father would die if he heard me say that. No what I care about is not hurting the feelings of my friend."

"Because you clearly do not feel the same way," Ashara nodded. "It is a difficult conversation to have. This is one of the reasons why I don't like fostering. Throwing someone into a new environment where they will grow up around other people sometimes females, they are going to inevitably bond with those people and not always in the most appropriate sense."

Lily sighed. "I should talk to him soon then."

Ashara pursed her lips and the red head frowned at her. "Do you think otherwise?"

"Not necessarily," Ashara said. "The last thing you want to do is wound his pride. And he is going back to the Riverlands with your family after the wedding yes?"

"Yes."

"Well then perhaps its something that will blow over in time. If he thinks that you may potentially find a match here than it will be easier for him to move on from the idea of the two of you. Talk to him if you can, but if you can't I wouldn't worry too much about it. Men are like rocks in a stormy sea, the water and wreckage just washes right off of them. It always does."

"What are you two talking about?" Elia asked from her place two steps ahead of them.

"The subtle intricacies of the male ego your grace," Ashara replied smoothly. "I was simply educating Lily in the finer details."

"Then by all means continue," Elia said throwing a sly look over her shoulder. "I think such a lesson would be good for us all."  
Ashara grinned at her long time friend. "As much as we may debate the many meanings of the male species your grace, I don't think we'll ever stumble upon one correct answer. That is a question for a learned scholar and we do not ascribe to such a position."

"I might if it would get me out of an arranged marriage," Lily muttered prompting a laugh out of Ashara and Elia.

"Come now Lily, arranged marriages aren't all bad," Elia said.

"Really?" Lily challenged. "Can you tell me one good thing about them then?"  
"Certainly," Elia said with an air of serenity that told Lily she was used to debating others. It must have come from being the only girl amidst two brothers.

"One example is that arranged marriages often lead to increased perspective of the other person," Elia explained. "If people were simply allowed to marry and then separate from the other as they please it would remove the desire to work hard to make one's marriage work. You see, a marriage is more than a means to achieve a political alliance and children. You're sharing your life with someone else. Now you have the power to either make that life miserable or to work hard to make something of it. Don't you want to be happy in a marriage?"

"I do," Lily replied wondering where her new friend was going with this notion and not sure she was liking this. "But suppose the other person doesn't want to make it work?"

"It would be in his best interests to make it work," Ashara cut in. "No one, male or female wants to be miserable. If you show you are willing to work hard to make your marriage work, I guarantee they will too. Tell me something Lily, did your parents love each other?"

Lily blinked as she thought about the union of Minisa and Hoster Tully. In the beginning of her new life here, she never remembered them fighting and there was still a hollow look in her father's eyes whenever her mother's name had been brought up. She knew that for as tough and hard as he tried to make himself appear even after her being gone a few years, he still missed her and likely would for the rest of his life.

"Yes," she said finally. "Yes, they did."

To her surprise, Elia stopped in the street and turned around so she was facing the fourteen year old. "A union like that would have been the envy of many.

There are men in this world who want nothing more than children and alliances from a marriage but I don't know many. A man's base desire is the same as a woman. They all love and want to be loved. The trick is to find that person whose desires for that are not buried and who has political connections. I think you'll find that arranged marriages are not all bad. You get to know that person before you fall in love and sometimes that can be a wonderful thing. Friendship before love is how it should be. Do you understand?"

Suddenly feeling floored and more than a little overwhelmed all Lily found she was able to do was nod.

"Good," Elia smiled. "Don't forget that. It will serve you well when your time comes. If you want to make a marriage work, than work hard at it. Love will be all the sweeter because you worked for it. Alright?"

Before Lily could respond, all of a sudden Ashara spoke up. "This was the street I was telling you about your grace."

Lily blinked and glanced up to find their small party standing at the entrance to a rather large alley about thirty feet in length. It only had one exit to the main street which was where they were standing. But it also had several small alley leading between the buildings at the far end to get to the larger streets on the other side. The alleyway was lined with tables and stalls of different vendors selling everything from Myrish lace to amber and jade from Qarth. Lily glimpsed intricate sea shells, exotic creams and ointments from Pentos and precious white stones.

Elia smiled. "I believe we'll find everything we're looking for here."

"And what exactly are we looking for your grace?" Lily asked as the three women moved into the alleyway.

"Adornments for the wedding," Ashara said over her shoulder.

"I thought that you had everything you needed for the wedding your grace," the red head asked in confusion.

"Not for me," Elia replied. "For the two of you. The both of you will be standing at the front of the Sept of Baelor with me and thus many eyes will be upon you. As companions of the future queen, I want the both of you to look your best. And as an aside, its simply entertaining."

Lily gave the princess a half smile. "I suppose that's true. Are we supposed to look uniform?"

"No," Elia replied. "Simply choose a dress that best suits you but it must be an elaborate one. This little shopping trip is simply to add to those dresses."

"Very well then," Ashara said. "Shall we look?"

What followed was a half an hour of the three of them perusing every stall and table in the alley, looking over each piece of jewelry and each jar of ointment and cream.

Lily, who had never really gone shopping in this world in the fourteen years she had lived in Westeros had to admit that she found it rather fun. Shopping in King's Landing was far different than shopping in England.

Everything was so organic and fresh that she wanted to take it all in.

It wasn't until they had stopped at a particular jewelry vendor and Ashara and Elia were marvelling at a collection of stunning rubies that Lily's eyes caught sight of a unique piece.

It was sitting at the very edge of the table and appeared to be a necklace of some sort. It had a simple silver chain. It's pendent was what interested the red head in that it was clearly made of emeralds but the end of it was slightly curved and large enough that one could rest a finger there.

"What is this piece?" Lily asked the merchant standing behind the table. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair and skin so tan and leathery that Lily was certain he was from the far east in Essos.

"My lady has an eye for quality," the man said and reached for the pendent. "This piece comes from the City of the Winged Men, a fabled destination where it is said that every inhabitant possesses a pair of wings."

Lily's eyes widened in fascination. "Have you ever been there?"

"Nay my lady," the merchant said with some regret. "But I have sworn an oath that I will see it before I die. The companions I have had go there have told me stories of an oasis in the desert where the men and women are ageless and where precious stones are more numerous than the grains of sand in the desert. I don't know how true that is but upon seeing this item I cannot dispute the gem story."

"It is solid emeralds isn't it?"

"It is," the merchant said. "But it's function is twofold. Observe."

The pendent itself was the length of Lily's hand and she watched as the merchant pulled at the top of the pendent that was connected to the silver chain and to Lily's surprise removed it only for her to be confronted with a small razor sharp blade about the length of her index finger. The hilt of the tiny weapon was also about the length of her finger but curved at the end.

"Fascinating," Lily murmured.

"It is a weapon of speed more than a weapon of force," the merchant explained. "There is a legend originating from the City of the Winged Men which states that these weapons are the only ones they carry. Their wings increase their speed to such a degree that they do not need a normal sword to keep a foe at arms length as no one can match their velocity. They also seem to possess a unique perspective on the best and least bloodiest places to kill. Subtlety is the greatest weapon of the Winged Men."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Lily said with a frown.

"In essence, this weapon is cleverly concealed as a pendent so that one might get close to the object of their assassination without said object ever knowing."

"An assassin's blade," Lily marveled reaching out for it. "How clever. With the right speed, no one would ever see you coming."

"Precisely."

Lily turned the small piece over and over in her hand. "I'll take it."

Once she had counted out the correct amount of coinage for the merchant, she turned to Elia and Ashara to show them her find.

The two of them were standing on a stoop speaking to an older woman whose head and face were wrapped in a silk scarf. There was a child in her arms and Lily glanced at the sign above the door only to see that it was an orphanage.

She moved in their direction but had gone no more than two steps when all of a sudden there was a prickling sensation in the back of her neck.

If she hadn't turned her head to the side just in time to look down the alley, she might not have caught it.  
Long robes didn't seem to be an uncommon thing in King's Landing however the amount of figures wearing them had increased since they had stepped into the alley.

There didn't seem to be any pattern to their movements and they were all dressed in random colors. The only parallel between them all was the fact that their faces were covered by veils and only their eyes were visible.

There were so many people in the crowd that it would be easy to miss them and at the same time they stood out just enough so that one would know they all seemed to of one mind and one ambition.

They were here for one specific purpose it seemed.

Lily felt a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach and she swallowed hard, watching in silence as she realized that there was a veiled man standing on either side of the entrance to the alley.

Almost as if they were making sure no one could leave.

 _Where are the guards?_ Lily thought frantically as she hurriedly closed the distance to Ashara and Elia.

Looking around Lily became aware of the fact that she was the only one to have noticed them as the rest of the guard who had accompanied them along with Ser Harlan were watching the people they were supposed to be guarding

And it was in that moment that she realized all of their eyes were fixed on Elia.

 _This is a trap._

Reaching out she gently took hold of Elia's arm. "We need to leave."

The princess frowned at her. "Why?"

No sooner had the word left her mouth when all of a sudden there was a hissing sound followed by a groan and Lily watched in horror as Ser Harlan toppled over, bleeding and twitching profusely from his eye.

With terror she realized that somehow a dart had been fired from somewhere in the alley and embedded itself in his eye. It was an instant kill shot.

The matron of the orphanage screamed as the old Kingsguard hit the ground and from there, complete chaos ensued.

Yells and curses rang out from the crowd and then all of a sudden people were stampeding in every direction.

"Your grace get inside!" One of the Dornish guards yelled. "We will – "

He never finished what he was going to propose as just then there was another hissing sound and a dart was embedded in his eye as well.

This time Ashara was the one who screamed as he toppled to the earth.

"Inside! Now!" Lily barked as she pushed Ashara and Elia towards the door of the orphanage. She shoved them inside and slammed the door shut before looking towards the terrified matron who had backed against the opposite wall with her hands pressed against her mouth. "How many children are here?"

Somehow the woman managed to keep her wits about her. "F-Fourteen my lady."

"I would suggest you separate them all," Lily snapped. "I don't know what sort of men are out there but if they are the kind to fell members of the Kingsguard, they certainly won't feel very charitable to children."

"Lily what in the name of the seven hells is going on?" Ashara demanded.

"I don't know," the fourteen year old grunted. "But if I had to wager a guess, I would say that this was an assassination attempt.

"Assassination?" Elia gasped, her face going pale. "But why?"

"We can discuss the whys once we are safely away. Right now we need to find an exit and get back to the Red Keep."

"Poor Ser Harlan," Ashara whispered.

She turned to the matron in a trice. "Is there a back door into the orphanage?"

The woman looked at her, dazed from the speed with which things were moving. "Pardon my lady?"

Lily steeled herself for calm. Losing her temper now would no one any good. "Is there a back door into this place?"

"Yes but – "

"Where?"

"Just down the hall and past the great room where the children eat for dinner but my lady – "

"Then I would suggest you get them and find someplace to hide," Lily snapped.

"What is going on?" Elia demanded.

"This was a trap," Lily said. "I think those men were lying in wait for one of us, most likely you princess."

"Me…but why?"

"I don't know," Lily said. "But in order to find out, we need to survive first. Please barricade the door and then look for a back door."

Fortunately, Elia seemed to get her wits about her then and she nodded before turning back to the door and reaching for the chair that was propped beside it so she could wedge it beneath the knob.

Lily meanwhile ran down the hall of the orphanage into the great room which was just an indoor courtyard with an open roof so the sun could be allowed in. There were several children in there playing already but they stopped and stared at her as she ran past.

 _They must not be allowed in here. Gods know what they would do to those children if they caught them. No…someone knew we were going to be here._

Unfortunately, she had just caught sight of the back door of the orphanage when it was broken through by one of the men in black with a few companions.

A woman clearly employed by the orphanage because of her robes had just come down a hidden hallway by the door and as Lily opened her mouth to call out and warn her, one of the men in black stuck his knife in her throat and pulled it out with a savage yank causing her to slide to the floor, blood pumping from her throat like a fountain.

 _I can't let them get to the great room, in fact I can't let them get any farther down this hall. Elia and Ashara and Cassana are hiding nearby._

She could hear screams in the background mostly of children as they were hurried away to hide and grimaced.

And so because no one was around to see her, Lily decided the use of magic in this situation would be warranted.

She whipped out her hand and squeezed her fist shut muttering the stunning charm. Instantly the man dropped to his knees, and sprawled headlong on the ground, out cold.

Not allowing herself to feel guilt for the moment, Lily looked around wildly for more attackers. She had no sooner dropped the man to the ground when she heard movement from the greater hall of the orphanage and she hustled in that direction.

The matron was nowhere in sight, no doubt having found a place to hide and she didn't see Ashara either.

But what Lily did see was a man in a black robe holding a knife to Elia's throat in one of the corners of the great room. The blade was pressed against her throat and her golden eyes were fixed on it, going back and forth between the man's face and the blade. Her hands were pressed against the wall as if she were trying to get herself as close to the stone and away from him as possible.

Lily gritted her teeth, a rage coming over her then as she saw her new friend in harm's way.

And because she wasn't going to be able to get the man away from Elia by physical means…she had to employ the use of something else.

Knowing she was about to blow her cover for the first time in this life and not seeing any other way around it, Lily took a deep breath.

And so taking a deep breath, she muttered the stunning charm under her breath and waved her hand at the man.

There was a horrid moment of silence and the pair of women watching in horrified fascination as the man's eyeballs rolled back into his skull and he sprawled headlong on the ground unconscious. The knife fell from his hand to the floor with a clatter.

There was another long moment where the brunette released a breath and slumped down to the ground with her back against the wall.

Lily wasted no time in hurrying over to Elia and taking her hand. "Are you alright?"

The Dornish woman took a few deep breaths before it seemed she trusted herself enough to be able to speak. "Yes, yes I am."

She then fixed her friend with an incredulous but also wary look. "How did you do that?"

Lily opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when there was a shouting behind her. She turned around to see the last one of the Martell guards come running into the room. His sword was drawn and coated with blood and there was blood dripping from a slash wound in his arm but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear.

All of a sudden Lily felt something being shoved into her hand and glanced down to see that it was a frying pan. Judging from the tables in the middle of the room and the plates with half eaten food on them, the orphanage had been in the middle of a meal.

She looked at Elia questioningly but the brunette simply shook her head.

"Are you alright my lady?" the man asked hurrying towards them. "The scum didn't hurt you did they?"

"No sir," Elia said. "This cretin here would have though if Lady Lilian hadn't snuck up on him and cracked his head with the pan she is holding."

And that's when it dawned on Lily. Her new friend was shocked by the magical display but she had recovered herself fast enough to realize that whatever the red head had done was quite obviously not a normal act that others had seen. So she was covering for her in whatever way she could.

The guard turned to the small red head and she could see the respect in his eyes. "You have down our future queen a great service Lady Lilian. The women of the Riverlands are sharp indeed."

Lily gave him a smile but there was an underlying bite to it. "Well sir, you weren't here so I had to get creative."

The smile fell from the man's face and Lily wanted to cringe at her ungenerous words. She usually wasn't that harsh but at the moment it was difficult to not feel emotional. She had been attacked by strange masked men, and stunned another and in the process had revealed her magic to the last person she would have expected to reveal it to. And now the entire experience had been covered up in a matter of seconds.

"Thank the seven!"

Elia, Lily and the guard looked up to find Ashara and the matron standing at the top of the stairs. Ashara's face was grey and she seemed almost speechless with relief however she sustained no injuries.

The Dayne girl practically flew down the stairs and grasped Elia's shoulders gently checking her over for injuries. "Are you alright? I never should have listened to you when you said we should split up."

While Elia explained to her friend what had happened Lily glanced up at the matron who was leaning against the railing and trembling. "Where are the children? Are they alright?"

She nodded. "Myself and Lady Ashara herded them into one of the back rooms. They're frightened but otherwise unharmed."

"Good," Lily said with some relief.

"Arden, who were those men?" Elia asked pointing to the man who was now lying knocked out on the flagstones of the greater room.

"I don't know my lady," the guard said, his upper lip curling in disgust. He prodded the still form with the end of his spear. "But as long as he is alive, we'll get the truth from him. Come, we need to return you to the capital, Prince Oberyn and the royal family need to be informed immediately."

"I think I saw another man on the floor in the hallway," Lily said casually. "Someone must have got to him too. Best grab him as well before we go back."

As they were leaving the orphanage however after Elia had insisted that they stay and help clean up some of the mess, the brunette caught Lily's hand.

Her grip was firm and tight as they stood on the steps of the orphanage bidding the matron farewell and hurried through the streets of King's Landing.

Elia kept a hold on Lily's hand as entered the gates of the keep and the red head had a feeling she would need to have a long conversation with her friend before long.

She was just glad that no one else had seen the display of magic.

 _I can only imagine what my family is going to say when they hear of this._

Ω

Once they arrived at the Keep, the guard Arden returned Elia to her chambers and handed over the prisoner to Arthur Dayne who was horrified to learn what had nearly befallen his sister as well as the future queen and her ladies.

Lily silently cast a disillusionment and a silencing charm on herself as she hurried through the halls. She didn't want people asking a lot of questions about why she was decorated with dust and the hem of her dress was torn and there were many people walking in the halls of the keep.

Thankfully she didn't see her brothers, father or sisters on the way and dashed into her own set of rooms, all but slamming the door shut behind her.

None of her maids were in there as well and Lily wasted no time in filling the bathtub with water and stripping off her dress before tossing it in the fire and settling down into the hot water to wash off the remnants of the ordeal.

She was grateful that the only one to see her magic had been Elia herself as Ashara and the matron had been hiding with the children.

 _She was probably looking for a place to hide when the man caught her,_ Lily thought to herself as she combed her fingers through her long red curls. _More importantly though, what the bloody hell did they want? It was obvious they had been lying in wait for us and a trap had been set. But what was it all for? Princess Elia seemed to be their target and yet…part of me thinks they didn't intend to kill her…or maybe I am wrong…I need to know more. It's a good thing that prisoner is still in the dungeons. With a little luck we'll be able to nip this in the bud._

She had no sooner risen from the tub, dried herself off, dressed and contemplated if she should go in search of the princess or spend the rest of the day in her room when she was interrupted by the door bursting open and Lysa and Petyr barging in followed by her Uncle.

"Is it true?" Petyr demanded. His dark brown hair was windblown as if he had been running and his eyes were practically narrowed into slits.

Lily frowned. "Is what true?"

"Don't play games with me! Is it true that there was an assassination attempt on the life of Princess Elia while she was in the markets with you and Lady Ashara today?"

Lily sighed. She had been hoping to get to her sisters and her father before the news had spread, but any chance of that happening now had been shot to hell.

"Before I say anything- "

"Gods it is true!" Lysa exclaimed. "What the bloody hell happened? Are you alright?"

While she was still speaking, the door was opened again to reveal Hoster Tully who appeared even grimmer than normal. His blue eyes searched hers for a moment before simply uttering two words: "What. Happened?"

Lily grimaced to herself, knowing there was no way in the Seven Hells she was going to get out of answering this one.

"The trip commenced like any other," she began. "The three of us along with Ser Harlan and some Martell guards journeyed into the city, going into the Silk District. There was a particular street that Lady Ashara knew about which apparently had the best silks and jewels. It was a large alleyway nestled off the main street with smaller alleys leading to the other main streets. We spent about a half an hour or so looking the tables over.

"I had just finished an interesting conversation with one of the merchants when I got this prickling feeling on the back of my neck like we were being watched. I looked around carefully only to find that the crowd had been infiltrated by a group of men all wearing veils with head coverings. I could see nothing but their eyes. They weren't standing close together but some were guarding the entrance to the alley as if they didn't want anyone to leave.

"At the time, Princess Elia and Lady Ashara were speaking on the steps with a matron of one of the city's orphanages. They hadn't noticed the change in demographic and nor had the late Ser Harlan or any of the Martell guards she had brought."

Ser Brynden muttered something under his breath at the mention of the deceased member of the Kingsguard. "Old ruddy bastard should have been let out to pasture long ago. Who of all people commissioned him to go with the princess?"

"Anyway," Lily sighed, eager to rush through her story and be done with it. "Upon realizing that the situation had taken a sinister turn, I hurried towards the princess and told her that we needed to leave. No sooner had the words left my mouth when all of a sudden there was a hissing sound almost as if an arrow had been released from a bow and I looked to find Ser Harlan toppled over. There was a dart sticking out of his eye, the only vulnerable place in his helm. One of the other Martell guards only had time to shout for us to take cover before he too was struck.

"We dashed into the orphanage and princess Elia suggested we split up to ensure that we were not easy targets. I dashed down the hall in search of a backdoor where we could escape from and narrowly avoided meeting another robed man who had just come in through the back door. I hid behind a barrel and watched as he headed into the greater courtyard of the orphanage before following him as I had seen Princess Elia head in that direction and I wanted to make sure she was alright.

"As it turns out that instinct saved the both of us for when I entered the courtyard I found her with her back against the far wall and a knife at her throat. The man cornering her didn't hear me thankfully and I reached down and picked up one of the pans that had been left on the table when the children had scattered during dinner. I was able to sneak up on him and hit him across the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

"Not long after that, we were reunited with Lady Ashara who had hid with the matron and the children and the princess's surviving guard who had somehow managed to dispatch some of the attacking assassins. The man who I had hit was bound and brought back to the keep where he currently in the Black Cells waiting to be questioned."

The red head finished the tale by taking a deep breath. "Now you know andI don't really want to talk about this anymore. We're all safe and sound, so there is no reason to become overly upset."

"No reason!" Petyr burst out. "You were almost murdered in broad daylight by men sent from gods know where! This is exactly why you shouldn't stay in the capital, you'll be a target here. Any lady of noble birth would be!"

"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" Lily demanded, her temper flaring. "Because I think I proved that with the frying pan. I'm not helpless Petyr, I know how to take care of myself. The truth will be wrested from that man shortly. We'll find out who sent him and the problem will be taken care of."

"Be that as it may, a potential monarch being targeted in the streets of King's Landing in broad daylight from masked assassins is hardly a normal occurrence," Hoster Tully rumbled from his place by the door. "Somehow I don't think this was an isolated incident or the work of some radicals trying to make a political statement. These men sounded trained."

"Aye, it sounds like it was a calculated and pre-meditated attack," the Blackfish mused. "But if the target was the royal family then why go after the Martell girl? Surely the king knows that even if she were to be killed another girl from a noble family would be chosen."

"Well perhaps that truth will be revealed from the assassin," Lily said with a sigh.

"Maybe so," Hoster said. "But for now the entire court is in an uproar. I can't imagine when Prince Doran receives a letter that he will be happy with the attempt on his sister's life and there is the matter of naming a new soul to the Kingsguard. This is going to overshadow the royal wedding most heavily."

Lily wanted to roll her eyes. Was that really all he cared about?

"But Lily's still not going to stay here after what happened is she?" Lysa asked fearfully. "Suppose something like this happens again?"

Lily glanced at Petyr who looked as if he wholeheartedly agreed with everything that her sister had said and this time she really did roll her eyes.

Hoster was silent for a moment and Lily began to fear that he would tell her that she was to come back to the Riverlands with them. A small part of her was afraid of the thought. This was the first adventure she had had since her trip to the Eyrie and she wasn't ready for it to be over. Elia and Ashara seemed like genuinely good people and she wanted to help the former in an environment that might be very difficult. Also, remaining at court would allow her infinitely more freedom than she had had in the Riverlands.

"If you are concerned about Lilian's safety, might I suggest a compromise brother?" Brynden Tully asked, speaking up suddenly.

"Of course," Hoster Tully replied.

"Lilian's safety is of paramount importance to all of us as she will be remaining behind in a new and unknown environment. Suppose we counter the unknowns with what is known. I will stay behind in the capital with her."

At those words a deep musing silence fell over the room and Lily felt her eyebrows race to her hairline. This had taken a new and interesting turn.

"I would be thrilled to have Uncle Brynden here with me," she said quickly and felt Petyr's eyes snap to hers. "I think that cancels out any concerns."

"It would," Hoster mused rubbing the side of his face wryly. "Very well then Brynden, have it your way. You will remain with Lilian for the duration of her time here. Now then, come along Lysa, you and I were on our way to a meeting with the Lannisters before we were redirected here with the news of the attack. Lord Tywin and I have many things to speak of.

"But – " Petyr made to interrupt but Brynden silenced him with a glare.

Lysa sent a helpless expression at Lily before she followed their father out of the room leaving Petyr with her sister and Uncle.

Baelish looked fit to be tied and opened and closed his mouth several times looking at both her and her uncle but couldn't seem to figure out what he wanted to say or how he wanted to say it.

After a moment of awkward silence, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him making Lily cringe and the Blackfish mutter.

"I need to have a talk with that boy at some point," he said quietly as if speaking to himself before turning to Lily. "And speaking of conversations, you and I need to have one."

"I already told you the whole story Uncle," Lily sighed. "Must we go over it again?"

"It's not that story I am referring to," her uncle said.

Lily frowned and opened her mouth to ask which tale he was talking about when he turned away from her and walked over to the bedside table.

From there he reached down and retrieved a small object causing her to frown. It wasn't until he picked it up and turned it over in his hand that Lily realized it was the medallion she had been given on that misty road to the Eyrie weeks and weeks ago.

She swallowed hard.

"It's not like you to keep secrets Lilian," her uncle said she cringed at the use of her full name. "You've always told me everything."

"I have," she replied.

"Then why is it that this medallion was given to you by the Mountain Clans of the Vale before they dissolved into a fine mist? They knew who you were and they called you by name. How is that possible?"

Lily sighed and steeled herself. She had already revealed her magic to one person that day, might as well do the same for another.

"I have no idea how they knew who I am Uncle," Lily said carefully. "But they must have given me that medallion because they sensed I was different."

"In what way?"

Lily took another deep breath. "In this way."

And then without another word of warning, she whispered the summoning charm under her breath and the medallion leapt from the Blackfish's hand. It flew through the air toward her before coming to a stop and nestling itself into the palm of her outstretched hand.

Her uncle who had cursed at the sudden movement had whirled around to face her and was now watching with wide eyes as Lily levitated and lowered the medallion before his face.

"How…." The man paused and almost seemed as if he were struggling with his own thoughts. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"A very long time Uncle," Lily said. "But this isn't all I can do."

She lowered her hand and strode towards him before taking his wrist in her grasp. "Don't let go."

"Don't let – "

Before he could finish however, Lily closed her eyes and envisioned the library of Riverrun in her mind. Then without another word, she spun on her heel and the two disappeared from the capital with a crack.

A moment later the smell of old books and parchment assaulted her and the red head opened her eyes with a smile to find herself standing between two tall shelves lined with old manuscripts. There was a shaft of afternoon sunlight emitting from the tall window at the end of the aisle which cast a warm glow on the dark wood floors. The light also cast into sharp relief the old scuff marks from shoes and the scratches from dragged chairs when one had to reach a book on the top shelf. Particles of dust drifted lazily on the air being tossed this way and that by the changing currents. Lily took a deep breath and released it slowly.

She was home.

A moment later she reached out a hand to steady an astonished Brynden Tully who had stumbled upon their landing in the library.

Slowly she let go of his hand and looked him over carefully. The expressions that passed over his face were interesting. His eyes went from dinner plate astonishment size to disbelief to stark grim realism and finally they found hers.

"Are we in Riverrun?" he asked softly.

"We are," she replied. "Look out the window and see for yourself. The training yard is just below."

She watched as he strode over to the window at the end of the aisle and pressed his hands against the glass like a little boy. It was almost comical.

But when he turned back around the expression on his face was anything but amusing. "Is that all then? Is there more you can do?"

Lily nodded. "Magic is an all encompassing thing Uncle. I'm not immortal and I can't turn back time or raise the dead but I can summon and conjure objects, levitate items and other simple charms as well as take us to any place in Westeros as long as I've seen it before."

Brynden Tully began blinking rapidly for a second as if he were trying to take this all in. After a time however he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That's why those mountain clans came to you then. Magic isn't gone from this world and somehow they knew it. But how is this possible? How is it that you are a magical being and no one else in this family is?"

"As far as I can understand Uncle, my condition is a random thing. I'm convinced that there were many in Westeros in the past who had magic."

"Like who?" her uncle asked with some interest.

"Well Bran the Builder comes to mind. I've never seen the Wall but I've heard that it is absolutely enormous, the biggest structure ever built in this land. And seeing as how it was built in a more primitive time, you don't think something like that would have been built without the help of magic do you? Also Durran Godsgrief who married the maiden of the sea Elenai. She was no doubt a magical being able to choose to spend her life with a mortal man. And what of the Targaryens?"

"What about them?" the Blackfish frowned.

"You don't think they would have been able to tame their dragons without the help of magic do you? We've all heard the stories about how the ancient dragons have a deep seated connection to magic. Why do you think they're all gone now?"

"Because magic has disappeared, or at least I thought it had," Brynden said slowly.

He was taking it all rather well and Lily allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. But then he countered her calm with another question.

"That is why you were so calm after the incident in the marketplace today. You didn't incapacitate the man with a pan you used your magic to get rid of him. How?"

"I used a stunning charm," Lily explained calmly. "It renders anyone unconscious. We needed the man alive to learn who sent him. We can't very well do that dead can we?"

"I suppose not," her uncle said running a hand through his hair. "Gods this is unbelievable. Does anyone else know?"

"Just Princess Elia who witnessed the magic, and now you," Lily said. "I've been very careful about who I tell this to. Not even Petyr knows."

"Good," Brynden replied. "I think continued silence on this is wise for right now. You're father is a traditional man and there's no telling how he would react to this. Petyr, while a good lad harbors a good deal of bitterness about his position in life and he might see this as yet another weapon that you have an he doesn't. Cat might follow her father and possibly ostracize you as a means of dealing with this. I don't know about Ed, Axel and Lysa but the unknowns are enough that you must be careful."

Lily nodded sadly. "I was worried about their potential reactions. There may come a time when I have to tell them though. I just hope they'll take it well."

"So do I," Brynden sighed. "Tell Lysa and Ed if you must but ensure that they know they must speak of it to no one. And I would hold off on telling Axel for a while. He wouldn't understand as he is still just a child."

"I will."

"Good, now perhaps we should return to the capital before someone sees us."

"Very well, give me your hand."

A moment later after the spinning sensation had ceased and Lily opened her eyes to find the two of them back in her chamber she let go of her uncle's hand and gazed up at him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure what to think Lilian," Brynden replied running a hand through his hair. "This is all so fantastical I think it will take some time to wrap my head around."

"I…I hope my magic won't change how you see me," Lily whispered looking down at her feet.

All of a sudden she felt a pair of large hands on her shoulders and looked up to see her Uncle's blue eyes looking at her intently. "Nothing about you could change the way I view you Lilian, not even this. You're still Lilian Tully magic or no."

Feeling a certain measure of relief, Lily nodded. "Thank you Uncle."

"Get some rest now," the Blackfish said releasing her and striding for the door. "You've had quite a day and I fear the excitement is only going to increase from here on out."

Ω

Lily didn't see Elia or Ashara for the next two days after the incident in the markets. She wasn't surprised that all involved had laid low given the fact that there was an attempt on the future queen's life. People involved would want to keep quiet until a proper investigation into the attempts was launched and information discovered.

Although unfortunately it appeared that everyone in the entire keep had heard the story in the forty eight hours that had passed since it happened and with each minute that went by Lily heard wilder and wilder theories about who was behind it.

She was glad Elia had kept silent about her part in the whole affair although it did make sense why. It was likely that no one would believe her and no one else had been there to corroborate her story but Lily.

Accusing the daughter of a Lord Paramount of something as fantastic as sorcery was outrageous at best and dangerous at worst.

Even still, she was glad some people knew her secret now and that her Uncle would be staying with her. Magic or no, she knew he would never treat her differently.

In the meantime she had decided to lay low and wait to be called by Princess Elia. She was unsure of what the other woman would think of her odd abilities as such things hadn't been seen since the days of Old Valyria.

So she kept to herself in this two day period and simply focused on her magic and avoiding the questions of people who had heard about the attack.

On the third day since the attack had occurred and only three days until the royal wedding, Lily received a message from a servant on behalf of Elia Martell asking if she would meet her in the gardens.

There was a particular terrace overlooking the sea that Elia was fond of. It reminded her of Dorne and the ocean by Sunspear.

Lily had a feeling the future queen would be there.

Curious that the Dornish woman would pick now of all times to speak with her, Lily dressed quickly and hurried down the halls towards the gardens outside of the keep.

In her heart she hoped Elia wouldn't judge her too harshly for what she had seen and keep an open mind about the whole thing. Magic wasn't very in common in Westeros and though there were some who could do it they generally did not live in the Seven Kingdoms.

It didn't take Lily very long to find the terrace although she had to walk through many long cobblestoned pathways lined with tall flowering trees before she came upon it at the end of one of the many aisles.

It was situated on a rock overlooking the ocean and had a lovely view of the water and the sunlight beyond.

At the table underneath the overhang, Lily spotted a single woman sitting in one of the chairs with her back to the pathway.

There were two guards in Martell armor standing on either side of the path and Lily wanted to smirk.

No doubt after what had happened earlier Oberyn Martell was taking no chances with his sister's safety. Just in case however as she passed the guards, she placed a silencing charm around the terrace so they wouldn't be over heard. She didn't want anyone else but the princess to hear what she was about to say.

There was a goblet of wine sitting on the table and Lily took a deep breath before walking over to her.

The dark haired woman who was princess Elia turned at the sound of the footsteps and gave her a small smile when she saw her. "Lily."

The red head decided she would take the use of her nickname as a good sign and stepped forward.

Elia gestured for her to sit down and Lily did so primly, perched on the edge of her chair so that she might leave in a moment if necessary.

Elia took a sip of her goblet of wine and was silent for at least five minutes, causing the red head to want to squirm uncomfortably. She obviously wanted another few moments to choose the words she was going to say and that made Lily nervous as she must have been thinking about what she had seen for the past few days.

Finally she locked eyes with the younger girl and spoke. "I went to Asshai as a young girl. Oberyn came with me and we watched some of the Red Priests in the temple of their god R'hllor or the Lord of Light as they call him. His priests said that he had a deep love of fire and that it was his powers that gave them the ability to do sorcery. I wasn't sure what I thought of it other than being rather afraid of this deity who called his followers to burn others alive as sacrifices and it was somewhere I never wanted to go back to. It's somewhat ironic I suppose that sorcery has found me."

And there it was.

Elia was nothing if not direct and Lily kind of liked that about her. She was straight to the point and there was no nonsense with her when she talked. She would make a good queen with that ability.

"Are you asking if I am a follower of the Red God your grace?" Lily asked, knowing full well her next answer would be important.

"Are you?" Elia asked directly. She didn't seem angry or afraid only determined to get to the truth.

"No," Lily said looking her squarely in the eye. "Magic….it's something I was born with. No god have me this ability nor did I ask for it. But from the time I was born, I knew I was different from my siblings….and they could never know."

That seemed to give Elia pause. "None of them know?"

"Only you and my Uncle now know the truth," Lily replied. "I know they love me but I would not want to be treated differently because of what I can do."

Elia was quiet for a long time. "I suppose I can see the logic in that. But to have such a gift….." She trailed off wistfully and for a moment Lily wondered if the future queen was wishing she had magic too.

The two women were quiet for another few moments and Lily found herself more comfortable with the silence. She began to realize that Elia only wanted to understand what she had seen and not condemn her for it.

"What exactly can you do?" the Dornish princess asked quietly.

In answer to her question, Lily took hold of her own goblet of wine and waved her hand over it, turning it into a raven.

It had been one of her first lessons with Professor McGonagall and transfiguration had been one of her best subjects.

Elia stared at her and the raven in utter shock before Lily waved her hand again and transformed the bird back into the goblet.

Hesitantly she reached for the goblet and picked it up. "This is….This is incredible. The magic of the red priests is very different. It's…..darker and always has a purpose because it's the Red God that gives them their abilities. His purpose is channeled through his servants. But this…..this doesn't seem to have a purpose at all….or if it does, it's your own purposes directing it. You aren't doing it because some god gives you the power…..you do it's because your gift and you don't depend on anyone else for it."

Lily smiled as she watched her friend work out her abilities for herself. Elia was correct, her magic wasn't tied to someone else's darker purposes. Magic was a tool and a gift, not something to be afraid of.

"So you're not angry with me then?" she asked and Elia looked confused.

"Why would I be angry with you?"

Lily shrugged. "Because this is a dangerous secret you have never seen before and I kept it from you?"

Elia smiled. "I admit I was a little surprised at first when I saw what you could do but you also helped save my life and that's something I could never find fault with. If anything this solidifies why I need you by my side."

Lily let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and gave her new friend a smile. "That's a bit of a relief. In the past people haven't always reacted favorably to the idea of magic. The faith regard it as heresy and would burn people at the stake who have been accused of it."

"I have seen enough to know that this is true, especially when the Red God is mentioned," Elia agreed.

She looked at the younger woman with gentleness. "I'm not angry Lily, if anything I'm pleased that someone has watched out for me and can probably do it better than any of the soldiers my brother appointed to me."

"Does that mean you still wish to have me as one of your ladies?" Lily asked even though she was sure the answer was yes.

"Of course," Elia replied. "I have a feeling your magic is going to be an invaluable skill set while I'm living here in King's Landing. There are spies and traitors around every corner and this way I would know should the worst happen."

"And what are you expecting to happen your grace?" Lily asked curiously.

"I don't know," Elia said quietly and she sounded a bit nervous. "My good father is going to prove to be an…..interesting challenge given his…mannerisms and I don't want any children Rhaegar and I might have to be at the mercy of one of his…..fits."

She was choosing her words very carefully and Lily suppressed a smirk. "Yes the king is one of those…..special individuals."

Elia sat forward and took the other girl's hand in her own. "I also urge you to continue to keep this a well-guarded secret and only speak of it with those who know. Aerys is obsessed with magic and dragons and he would do anything to get his hands on one or the other. If he knew that you were capable of this, he would immediately seek to keep you here by force if necessary."

Lily grimaced. She had a feeling that something like that might happen if word got out about what she could do. However there wasn't anything Aerys could do to her that she couldn't undo and his attempts to stop her would only be met with force of her own.

"He could certainly try," she said grimly. "It does not mean he would succeed."

"Even still," Elia said looking fearful. "Please promise me you will refrain from using it again unless the situation demands it."

"I promise."

"Good."

The sound of footsteps interrupted whatever Elia might have said next and the two women looked up in time to see two men walking towards them followed by half a dozen guards.

Lily noted the comparisons between them and Elia right away and guessed them to be Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn Martell.

One had long curly black hair brushing the collar of his burnt orange tunic and the other was slightly taller with close cropped black hair and beard. His hand was leant casually against the long sword at his waist and his shirt beneath his embroidered yellow tunic was open to about halfway down his chest to give some relief from the heat.

He was quite good looking and from the way he walked, it was obvious he knew it.

 _I know Robert Baratheon reminded me briefly of Sirius when we were in the Eyrie, but if anything Oberyn Martell is even more like James' best friend. Sirius had the same sort of walk._

Doran Martell on the other hand was good looking as well but didn't seem to have his brother's raw sexuality. From the way his eyes scanned the situation he was walking into, Lily was certain however that he was a cunning man.

They both stopped at the edge of the terrace and nodded to their sister. "Elia, we have just returned from speaking with Prince Rhaegar. He has assured us that a new member of the Kingsguard will be named to replace Ser Harlan."

"Good," Elia sighed. "I wish the poor man hadn't met his end in such a way. He had served for so long. His death should have been an honorable one."

"If he had been paying closer attention it might have been other than receiving a dart through the eye," Oberyn muttered and Lily grimaced slightly.

She too thought that members of the Kingsguard should only serve for a certain time. Once they became old their reflexes were not what they used to be and would only be a danger to themselves and others. But Ser Harlan's death had been sad. He had served the royal family all his life. Surely he should be given a decent burial.

Finally Oberyn's eyes met hers and he smiled slightly as he looked her over. "And who might this be?"

"Ah," Elia said getting to her feet. "Doran Oberyn, allow me to introduce the girl who is responsible for saving my life in the market. This is Lady Lilian Tully."

Both brothers were silent as they looked her over, Oberyn with more interest and Doran with subtle calculation.

Finally the latter spoke. "Lady Lilian, House Martell owes you a great debt for your service to my sister. I must admit when she informed me she had chosen someone of your age to remain with her in the capital I had some concerns. But now I see they were unfounded. You will always have a loyal ally of House Martell in whatever service we may provide."

"Thank you my lord," Lily said with nod. "I would only ask that you call me Lily instead of my full name. I've never really liked Lilian.

There was a brief silence and Lily was surprised to see a small smile on Doran's face followed by a chuckle from Oberyn.

"I think I'm going to like this one," the younger brother said with a small smile.

Elia rolled her eyes. "I can't promise that the feeling will be mutual Oberyn. You occupy a special class all your own."

"I wouldn't be too worried your grace," Lily said with a small smile. "I have a lot of patience in dealing with ornery younger brothers. I have two of them after all."

There was another breath of silence in which Elia surprise Lily with a giggle and pressed a hand to her mouth to hide it.

"I am not ornery," Oberyn protested.

"Quite right indeed brother, you are as passive as the wind and about as consistent," Doran said with sarcasm as dry as the Dornish sands.

This time Lily laugh and covered it with a cough. She found she liked the Martell siblings right away. Oberyn appeared charming and easy going whilst Doran was full of sarcasm and wit to cut his brother down to size and Elia served as a mediator between the two.

"Will you be staying in King's Landing after the wedding Prince Doran?" she asked as the four of them sat down at the table again.

Doran swirled the goblet of wine in front of him and sipped from it before answering her. "For a time. House Martell has a vested interest in ensuring that those responsible for the attack on Elia are rooted out and destroyed. But I feel this was not an isolated incident."

"We don't know that yet," Elia said. "The man has refused to speak even under the most egregious of torturers."

"He'll talk," Oberyn muttered darkly. "And this most certainly was not an isolated incident. Who attacks a future monarch in formation in broad daylight on a crowded street if it wasn't a separate incident?"

"Peace Oberyn," Doran said calmly. "This is a delicate matter that will take time to resolve."

"Hang the time!" Oberyn snapped slamming his goblet down on the table and making the plate of cheese and fruit jump. "Suppose this happens again."

Lily glanced at Elia in time to see the Dornish princess give a long suffering sigh. "I'm certain Lily will have something to say about that."

She had meant it as a joke but both brothers turned to Lily with raised eyebrows.

"I don't doubt your resourcefulness Lady Lilian," Prince Doran said. "But is this a feat you could duplicate if the situation called for it."

Lily chuckled, "I do know how to use a sword if that's what you're asking Prince Doran. My Uncle has been instructing me in the art since I was six."

"I didn't know that," Elia said.

"Impressive," Doran mused. "The Blackfish is a legend. It would appear that the Tullys are a different family than most."

"That's not entirely true," Lily explained. "Both of my older sisters have no interest in the art and because they're going to be married soon they have no use for it."

"But you do?" Oberyn asked.

"I am only four and ten. There's a long time before I marry," Lily said breezily. "I want to learn everything I can."

"Excellent," Doran said with a bit of an imperious tone. "A woman should not be limited in anyway."

"I think mother would like her," Elia said in a soft tone giving Lily a smile which she returned. "She certainly doesn't like other people thinking there are things she can't do."

"Of course Lady Lilian is welcome in Dorne anytime but perhaps we can hold off on a visit until after the royal wedding."

"I have seen to it that the guards have been doubled," Oberyn said. "I have also sent a letter back to Dorne requesting more."

"Excellent," Doran said. "Then we are ready."

The way he said it made it seem as if he was preparing for battle and caused a chill to rise on Lily's skin.

When she glanced sideways at Elia, she could see that the princess was similarly affected.

 _Merlin I just hope something terrible doesn't happen again. It seems as if everyone around here is preparing for war._

Ω

 **So I have decided that Lily's relationship with Oberyn is going to be a lot like her relationship with Sirius. Because she's so young he's not going to flirt or try anything romantic with her. They're going to become good friends but that's really all. And so now both Brynden and Elia know about Lily's magic which will come in handy later. I've received a few reviews suggesting that perhaps Lily would be better off with Brandon and let me tell you outright that's not going to happen. I have a plan and I'm sticking to it. One thing about Lily is that she had an innate ability to draw people to her completely unconsciously. She was just that sort of person that people wanted to be around whether it was romantically or un-romantically. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review. Next up...the wedding!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Naturally the news that the future queen had been nearly assassinated in the marketplace by unknown masked men kept the court in an uproar for more than a few days.

Aerys was reportedly furious, but Lily was certain his rage had more to do with what he assumed was a threat to his power rather than concern for Elia's safety.

Even more alarming was that a few hours after the man had been imprisoned in the Black Cells, the guards returned to bring him out for questioning only to find his throat slit, the knife still in his hand.

This of course caused the levels of tension in the keep to rise astronomically as the man had been searched for weapons before being imprisoned. So the questions of where he managed to find the knife and the possibility of someone in the keep being involved in an assassination plot was heavy on everyone's minds.

Prince Oberyn was furious when he learned of the man's death as it meant they were no closer to learning who was behind the plot than when Elia had been first attacked and Prince Doran bore a calculating expression but Lily knew he was bothered by the news too.

As for Elia, Lily knew she was trying to be brave but at the same time she was also feeling unsettled. Not that Lily could blame her, being attacked by armed men in the marketplace and having her throat nearly slit by one would be enough to give anyone nightmares. It certainly didn't help that the one who had done it was now dead under mysterious circumstances giving the uneasy feeling that it would be a long time before this alarming story reached a conclusion.

The threat of an unknown power however did little to stop the planned feasts that continued to take place every night.

By now the entire court knew that Elia had chosen her companions for the duration of her stay and Lily could have sworn she was being sized up a few times as she walked down the halls by other noble ladies.

Some of the looks from the Tyrell girls were annoying. They always looked Lily up and down as if assessing a threat and wondering how best to take her out.

 _They can try,_ Lily thought with a smirk. _But that's all they can do. I'm here to stay._

In the meantime, Lily had done her best to keep an eye over Elia in the last few days. Surely an attempt on someone's life and a near brush with death was emotionally difficult enough that it would keep one up at night but perhaps it was the fact that Prince Rhaegar didn't seem nearly as attentive as Lily thought he should have been annoyed her.

She didn't know Elia well enough yet to know when things really bothered her and so far she was treating the prince's indifference with grace and decorum.

 _I don't want to think about how I would react if the man I'm going to marry ignored me after an attempt on my life. These Targaryens really are strange._

Thankfully, the queen did not seem to adhere to her husband's lack of interest and so Lily found herself spending the next few days before the wedding in the company of Rhaella Targaryen.

The blonde had taken it upon herself to keep her new daughter with her seemingly at all times. Lily had a feeling that it was because she was paranoid about losing any more family members. Though Summerhall had happened before she was born, its effects were still feeling felt by the realm.

Obviously whoever had attacked Elia had sensed that a power shift was near and so were taking great pains to stake a claim upon the throne.

What Lily didn't understand however was how going after Elia was better than going after a member of the royal family. If the Targaryens were the target, how was taking out the future queen better than the crown prince who actually bore the name, especially when the king would have no trouble finding a second bride?

 _Perhaps its because she's bait._

"I have a theory," Lily said.

It was the night before the wedding and to the surprise of most of the court, there was no feast that night allowing all lords and ladies to retire early and get rest before what was likely to be a very long day.

Elia must have been having difficulty relaxing however because not long before this, she had summoned Lily and now the two were walking through the gardens arm in arm with a contingent of Martell guards following them.

Prince Oberyn had insisted upon being present too and was following along slowly behind them. He had barely left his sister's side since the attack and Lily had wondered briefly if when she and Ed were older he might be the same way.

 _Ha! Fat chance!_

"And what is that?" Elia asked.

Her manner hadn't changed since the attack prompting Lily to think she was made of stern stuff….or perhaps something like this had happened before.

"Perhaps," Lily said after lowering her voice and looking around, "perhaps you weren't to be the target of this attack after all."

Elia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've been doing some thinking about a possible motive for the attack in the marketplace and I've come up with a few theories."

"By all means let us hear them," Oberyn muttered from behind them. "It certainly seems as if the king cannot be bothered to do any thinking these days."

"Lower your voice!" Elia hissed. "We don't know who's listening."

Lily cleared her throat to cut through the sibling banter. "Perhaps whoever was behind this had the intention of drawing you out so as to make the Targaryens more active in their pursuit of the assailant."

"For what purpose?" Oberyn asked.

Lily stifled the urge to roll her eyes. In the same way that Sirius Black said and did things without thinking, Oberyn Martell was quickly reminding her more and more of him.

Fortunately Elia was quicker. "You don't think that the Targaryens are being targeted do you?"

Lily shrugged. "Why not? You and I can both count the remaining members of House Targaryen on one hand. Their power is tenuous and their grasp on it is brittle. Why shouldn't someone seek power by getting rid of the last of them?"

Oberyn hissed between his teeth and Lily realized he was understanding the complications. "If you are correct Lady Lilian, my sister is about to become the fifth Targaryen which will paint even more of a target on her back."

Elia waved a hand dismissively. "I was going to become a target with or without this attack. And it would have been more subtle as well. I've seen the looks many of the other girls here are throwing my way, particularly Cersei Lannister. I knew what I would be getting into before I arrived here. I'm a Martell, and I won't let anyone or anything break me."

Lily exchanged glances with Oberyn who if anything looked even more worried and intense.

She had to admire her friend's resolve however. Not many women were well equipped to handle a life in the capital. It took a certain kind of tenacity to live this sort of life and if she kept it long after the crown had left her head…well that would certainly be impressive.

"Very well then," the red head replied. "I guess all we can do at this point is push through and keep our heads. Maybe it was an isolated incident and all of this will be easily resolved."

Oberyn chuckled darkly. "Nothing is ever simple Lily. Especially here in the south. The only place I think where someone can escape political intrigue would be in the north, and even there they adhere to a different sort of politics."

"The politics of survival," Lily muttered to herself and Oberyn gave her an approving look. "You're learning quickly. You'll do well here."

Lily smirked at him. "When you grow up with two older siblings and watching your father's own politics, you tend to learn fast."

He snorted and Elia grinned at her friend. "Then what's Oberyn's excuse? He's the third siblings just as you are and yet it seems as if he hasn't picked up on anything resembling politics. He's too busy bedding the next woman to come along."

This time Lily was the one to snort. Sirius 2.0 had struck again.

She was just glad she was much too young for Oberyn. Had she been older and he had made a move on her she might have just hexed him.

"I am not inept at politics I will have you know," Oberyn said with a touch of indignation.

"No, but you just don't care about them," Elia shot back. "And sometimes that can be dangerous."

Oberyn shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever danger comes as a result of ignorance or indifference, I am well equipped to handle it."

Lily cast her eyes downward and noted the wicked looking dagger at his waist. She had no doubt he knew how to use that blade six ways to Sunday before anyone else could get theirs halfway from their sheath.

"And there you see the danger," Elia said with exasperation. "You _need_ to care. There may come a day when your skills aren't good enough. And why invite trouble if you can avoid it anyway?"

Oberyn smirked at her. "Sweet sister you worry too much. If there were no trouble in life the existence of us mortals would be dreadfully dull."

Elia threw her hands up in the air. "Very well, but if you get into a situation you cannot escape as a result of your foolishness, I will tell Doran to not avenge you as you brought your demise on your own head."

She whirled about and stamped off with the guards hustling to catch up. Lily glanced up at Oberyn who was still smirking. "What on earth was that about?"

"A few things you will learn here young Tully," the Red Viper replied as they walked on. "My sister is easily exasperated. She does not like things she can't control and she thinks she adapts well to change but she does not. She's going to run into a lot of things here that will be out of her hands and that she has no power over. I hope you will be able to help her process those things. She trusts you."

Lily blinked at the unexpected moment of clarity. Just like Sirius, it seemed that Oberyn had his moments where he could be empathetic and let his guard down in the right circumstances. She hoped to see more of those moments as it humanized him.

"It's funny what life or death situations will do to a person," she quipped. "You find yourself talking to people you never would have and sharing jokes with people much older than you."

Oberyn smirked. "I'm not that much older than you Tully."

 _No, but you're old enough for it to feel strange._

"Maybe not," Lily replied, "but you're certainly old enough to be married or so Elia tells me."

Oberyn rolled his eyes in the dim light of the outside torches. "Did she also tell you that I find the concept of marriage off putting? Life is far too exciting to spend tied down to one partner."

"Not everyone has that luxury," Lily said under her breath.

"Perhaps not," Oberyn said. "But what you can control is your perspective about it."

Lily frowned at him. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Oberyn chuckled. "There are going to be a lot of things in life that you will not be able to change Tully. Marriage is one of them. There just might come a time where I will not be able to escape those bonds. I think one of my greatest weapons is that I can adapt well."

"You certainly do have a high opinion of yourself," Lily said sarcastically rolling her eyes.

Oberyn smirked at her. "I do, and I don't think I'm wrong for having it."

Lily sighed but gave him a small smile. "And this is where I think I will say my goodnights. We have a big day tomorrow."

Oberyn sighed. "Up at the crack of dawn and perhaps bed when the stars are burning. I can't wait."

"I'll bet you are," Lily said as she moved to walk off down the garden path. "You just say you don't like it, but deep down I'll bet you're smirking."

And as she turned her back to the Red Viper and hurried off to her own chambers, the youngest Dornish prince was doing just that.

Ω

 _Dresses here certainly are beautiful but I don't think they're functional at all. How on earth am I supposed to move in this?!_

"You look like you have rigor mortis," Lysa teased from her place on the bed. "Would you stop being so stiff? It'll be over before you know it."

"I can't help it," Lily said running her hands up and down her arms. "I don't understand why it was necessary to wear the most elaborate dress possible."

"Perhaps because it's a royal wedding," Lysa suggested wryly, "and those sorts of things only happen once every few decades. It's sort of a tradition to look the best you possibly can."

Lily rolled her eyes. "There are ways of looking your best that don't involve elaborate trains, Myrish lace and intricate embroidery. I'm not sure my neck can sustain the weight of all of this hair."

Lysa threw back her head and laughed. "Will you please calm down? You've never looked better. If mother could see you now I wonder what she would say."

 _She'd probably say I looked like some primped up peacock and then laugh herself sick. She could never get me to like wearing dresses._

Thinking about Minisa caused Lily to grimace and she shook her head as if clearing it of memories.

"Does it at least look good?" she asked. "If I'm going to be staggering the entire day, I'd at least like to look good while I'm doing it."

"Yes, you look fine," Lysa laughed. "I'm glad you decided to wear blue today. You so rarely wear our house colors."

"They don't really match with my coloring," Lily muttered as she glanced down at the long train of her dress with some distaste.

The color blue was nice but at the same time she was irritated that there needed to be such a length on it. The extension of the dress went out about three feet from the actual hem and was made of shimmering deep blue Myrish lace which gave the appearance of rippling water.

The dress itself was silk and felt very soft next to her skin but it also wasn't heavy which would give some welcome relief from the heat of the capital. The bodice was also Myrish lace embroidered with tiny white seed pearls. It was sleeveless and open at the back, connecting only behind her neck and at the small of her back with three small seed pearls acting as buttons.

Her long red curls had been pulled to the top of her head leaving some to cascade down but otherwise her skin was left open to the breeze.

Her shoes were simple and without a heel allowing her to move faster which was good considering she was going to be on her feet the whole day.

Long tear drop pearls dangled from her earlobes. They were the most elaborate piece of jewelry she was wearing which was enough as they were quite heavy.

Even now she was rubbing at them and wondering if it would break some sort of social protocol if she were to take them off before the banquet that evening.

"What do you mean they don't match your coloring?" Lysa demanded. "With your skin anything would look good on you. I still don't understand how you got such an alabaster coloring."

"It makes me look as pale as a ghost," Lily muttered remembering that in her first life she had been called a ghost numerous times in Muggle school. It had always annoyed her.

Lysa opened her mouth to reply when all of a sudden there was a tap on the door.

"Come," Lily called out and the door opened to reveal Ser Brynden standing on the threshold. He too was wearing the Tully colors but in the deep muted red tones which made his hair seem even more like flames. His doublet was embroidered with gold threads and there was the signature black fish pin fastened to the breast pocket.

He took one look at her and raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you're ready to go then?"

"I am," Lily said stepping down from the platform much to the consternation of the servant who was still arranging the train. "Let's get this over with."

"That's the spirit," her uncle deadpanned and Lysa giggled. "I had better go get ready myself. "Well all be leaving for the Great Sept in an hour."

"I imagine that Cat's all in a tizzy," Lily said.

"Why do you think I came here?" Lysa asked. She got up off the bed with a sigh and passed her uncle at the door. "I'll see you in an hour I suppose."

As soon as she was gone, Lily took her uncle's arm and the two swept out of the room. As someone who would be standing up with Elia as a witness and one of her companions here in the capital she had to be there a little early

Besides, she wanted to see the Great Sept before it was filled to bursting with people.

Sure enough as they rode in a modest wheelhouse through the streets of the city, Lily peeked her head outside the curtains and noticed the city was just beginning to wake up. It was still early morning and the mist was coming off the bay almost like a silvery curtain just being raised before the start of a play.

It wasn't long however before she caught sight of an even more magnanimous image. It was in the distance but steadily coming nearer as the horses trotted onwards.

The Great Sept of Baelor was the largest building in King's Landing. It had been built above an underground chapel long before the walls of the capital were ever raised. It was also a tomb for the Targaryen kings of the past. It consisted of a dome and seven crystal towers, each one to commemorate a different god or goddess and each of the towers contained bells. They were not currently sounding but they would to celebrate the wedding of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell.

"Do you see that statue?" Brynden Tully asked from the other side of the seat and Lily craned her neck out even farther to look.

Coming into focus as the horses began the climb towards Visenya's Hill was the large stone figure of a man. Lily knew without much detail that this was the effigy of Baelor Targaryen also known as Baelor the Blessed.

Leaning back so she could look even higher, Lily gazed in awe at the white stone building and the large dome framed by the seven white towers. She could faintly see the bells in the towers hanging still and silent in the morning air. There were a few puffy clouds in the periwinkle blue sky and a flock of high flying birds called to each other as they sped out towards the bay, no doubt to go hunting.

King's Landing was certainly a charming place when it was quiet, but that only lasted for so long. As soon as the city woke up, Lily knew it would go back to being a smelly repulsive cesspool where the lives of the rich were starkly evident against the lives of the poor.

"What are you thinking about?" Brynden Tully asked as the wheelhouse pulled to a stop outside the Great Sept. With one hand he reached out and opened the door so the sunlight poured in but he kept his face toward Lily.

"About how this city needs a makeover," the smaller red head muttered. "It's been like this for too long."

The Blackfish grunted as he stepped outside and held a hand back to her. "This city has been like this for decades Lilian. People are too set in their ways to change."

Lily didn't have an answer for that.

She took her uncle's hand and stepped out of the wheelhouse into the light of the rising sun before mounting the tall white steps which led into the sept.

Once inside, she was assaulted by a cool quiet. It was almost like a library atmosphere, there was not a sound at all and the light from the tall windows cast shafts of sunbeams on the floor in a continuous forward succession almost as if an ethereal staircase was being created.

Lily had to do a complete turn in order to see everything. The entire interior of the sept was decorated with paintings of the seven pointed star that hung above the throne in the Red Keep.

There were seven different sculptures that were attached to the pillars holding up the center of the sept and each pillar was in honor of a different member of the Seven. They were at least twenty feet tall and at the base of each one were placed votive offerings and lit candles.

The statues themselves were carved out of white marble and in the very center of the enormous sanctuary was a seven sided impression with steps leading down into it like an inground pool that had yet to be filled with water. On the tiles of this empty space was also painted the star in a golden brown and black color.

There was a raised platform in the center of the empty space where Lily had a feeling the ceremony would take place. Rhaegar and Elia would stand there before the High Septon and say their vows before the gods with hundreds of people standing around watching.

The sheer amount of eyes that would be on them made Lily cringe as she remembered her own marriage to James and how simple and quiet it had been.

Odds were that her own marriage in this world would not be nearly as large or as ornate as this, but there would still be far more eyes on her here than in England.

"Quite extraordinary isn't it?" Brynden Tully asked and all Lily could do was nod.

"Feel free to have a look around," her uncle said. "I'm going to confer with the guards a moment."

Lily was barely aware of her uncle's receding footsteps before she made her way down into the center of the sept to look up at the enormous statues.

They were both compelling and intimidating in their own right and Lily paused to study the face of each one.

She started with the Father and immediately got this sense of aloofness. The Father was supposed to sit in judgement over the rest of the world, weighing the actions and intentions of the heart and yet his face made him seem cold and inhuman almost as if those he were judging were no more than the ticks of a box on and on for all of eternity.

Lily could only stand to look at him for so long because she sensed there was no hope in that stone visage that would make her want to pray to him. Judgement was neither good nor bad with this god. It just was.

Next she turned to the Mother who in a few seconds she could tell was vastly different than the patriarch of the gods. The sculptor of her face had created soft lines and gentle creases around the eyes to convey a sense of intimacy and sensitivity lacking in the face of the former. Even the way her head was tilted as she looked down at Lily gave the red head a feeling like right now she was only object worthy of attention. The Mother was supposed to be a protector of children and pregnant women so it only made sense that her caring nature shone through in her stone effigy.

The Maiden reminded Lily a lot of the pureblood girls she had seen at school. Her hands were folded over her chest and her stunning face bore a wistful expression as if she were seeing something that was too happy or too lovely to exist in this world. Her hair wasn't colored but if were, Lily imagined it would be gold like sunshine, her eyes as blue as a cloudless summer sky.

The Warrior looked like every cliché picture of knights she had seen in her history books at Hogwarts and in the Muggle world. His helmeted head was bowed and his hands were clasped around the hilt of an enormous sword that was placed in front of him and tilted downward so its point rested in the ground between his feet. Try as she might, Lily was never able to see his face.

She didn't spend too much time on the Smith either as he simply looked like every other man she had seen in the street of steel with his bare arms, bearded face and enormous hammer.

The Crone was interesting. She was the shortest of the group but that could be attributed to her curved spine. She was wearing a long robe and had one hand raised bearing a lantern also made of the same stone. The sculptor had created a mass of wrinkles in her face revealing extreme age as well as betraying her immortality and infinite wisdom.

And then Lily turned to the face she wanted least of all to see. She had never seen the face of death when she had been sitting in that room with him bargaining for her future but she wondered if that visage looked anything like this one. As she looked up at it a chill was sent from the top of her spine to the base of her feet.

The Stranger was hooded like the Crone but his hood was covering more of his head and as she gazed up at the skeletal and cadaverous face, Lily realized why and she understood why the Stranger was rarely prayed to.

His eyes were empty hollow sockets but surprisingly enough, the sculptor had fashioned the seven pointed stair just behind the bone of each lidless eye. His teeth were bared in a grisly smile and he appeared stiffer than the others.

Lily knew she was probably imagining things given how none of the statues were flesh and blood, but the Stranger held itself so close together that Lily imagined that rigor mortis had set in.

A sudden breeze blew in from the open doors outside of the sept and caused a chill to rise on Lily's skin.

 _Is this what you looked like?_ She wondered as she gazed up at the skeletal face. _Was this what you didn't want me to see? Or are you something even worse than this, are you something worse than what appears in a child's nightmares?_

All of a sudden a hand descended on her shoulder and she sucked in a breath before whirling around.

Standing about a foot away was Petyr with his hands raised and his eyes wide.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Lily released a shaky laugh. "That's alright. I think I got so engrossed in this place that forgot there were people coming. It almost sucks you in."

Petyr nodded but his gaze was still cautious. "Why were you looking at the Stranger like that?"

"Like what?"

"You almost looked as if you were in a trance," Petyr said his tone going soft. He almost looked unnerved "Your eyes looked like they were clouded over, like you were having a vision. You weren't were you?"

"Of course not," Lily said, but she said it almost too fast. "I was just….you and I have both seen death. We know what it looks like because it came for our mothers. I just wanted to know….I don't know. Maybe I thought if I looked hard enough I would be able to see her."

Petyr didn't respond and when she looked back at him again, the look in his pale green eyes was unfathomable.

"If you were looking for peace Lily I don't think you're going to find it here," he said. "No one can look at the Stranger and feel peaceful. Come on. The wedding's going to start soon."

Ω

 _God's if this septon drones on for any longer, I am going to melt into a puddle of blue sweat!_

Even though the Great Sept was large enough to hold seven hundred people, Lily was certain there were at least a thousand crammed into its walls. On top of the major and minor lords who had turned up, there were the everyday civilians of King's Landing many of whom smelled like they had not had a decent bath in days who were crowding the entrance and craning their necks to see the royal couple.

Lily did have to admit that Elia looked exquisite. She had also been a delicate beauty, sort of like a rare flower that one that needed just the right atmosphere and sunlight and water to thrive.

She was wearing a very pale shimmering gold dress that left her arms and most of her back bare but her long ebony curls were covered by the most ethereal train that Lily had ever seen. Nestled in those locks were three different golden hammered suns fashioned into clips and hanging from those clips was an ivory lace train that went all the way down to her feet.

It must have had some weight to it because Lily had caught the princess tilting her head to the left and right a few times as if to stretch her muscles.

Oberyn and Doran were standing just behind the princess opposite Lily, hands folded in front of them and standing shoulder width apart like sentries as they gazed on as their only sister was married off.

Standing next to her was Ashara who was a vision in a purple dress the same color as her eyes. It took was sleeveless and open at the back to give some relief from the heat. Her dark locks were twisted into an elaborate braided bun at the nape of her neck and purple gemstones glittered in the tresses.

Prince Rhaegar himself looked almost ethereal in his wedding garb. He was dressed in black from head to toe and the collar of his tunic was embroidered in silver. He was wearing an elaborate scarlet cape that crossed his back diagonally and in the front it turned into a silver chain with an ornate effigy of a three headed dragon sitting at the top of the left shoulder. His platinum hair was combed back.

His beautiful face however was blank, he barely glanced at Elia as the vows were being said and Lily ground her teeth together at the blatant show of indifference. She knew this was an arranged marriage and the two didn't really know each other but was it so hard to pretend?

 _Ah well, maybe they'll find love before long. Elia didn't even want to be here but maybe she'll adapt and end up loving it._

Speaking of loving things, Lily could tell from her vantage point standing atop the platform that her brothers currently were not having a good time.

Axel who was being held by his nurse was squirming and fidgeting to be put down. Ed was also doing an abysmal job at hiding his own boredom. When he poorly disguised a large yawn, Lily stared hard at him and raised an eyebrow.

It only took him a moment to realize that his older sister was giving him the death glare and he immediately straightened up as if he had replaced his spine with a rod.

She nodded to herself and continued looking around. It hadn't escaped her that her family along with the Tully guards had taken up residence at the feet of the Stranger.

Oh the bitter irony.

Standing in the empty inground pool were all the major lords of Westeros along with their families and guards, on the outer rim were the lesser lords and just outside were the peasants almost like they presented the picture of a solar system of the class hierarchy.

Lily continued looking around albeit it discreetly, moving her eyes only so she could see the other lord.

Standing next to her family was the combination of Lord Arryn along with Elbert Ned and Brandon Stark and Robert Baratheon. She was surprised when her green eyes met Elbert's and he gave her a small smile. She let her lips quirk upward for a moment before she moved on.

To her annoyance, standing a few feet from Elbert was Robert Baratheon who was observing the ceremony with poorly disguised boredom. He was also dressed in his house colors of black and yellow but the only yellow on his tunic was his sleeves and collar. The garb also fit him like a glove and made him seem even taller and more muscled.

A second later he must have felt her look because he glanced up too and when his eyes met hers, he didn't bother hiding a small smirk and then following it up by winking at her.

Lily wanted to roll her eyes but controlled herself before letting her eyes roam on.

Standing next to this mismatched party were the Tyrells, a company comprised of an older woman with greying hair and sharp eyes, a stout short man who was dressed in a deep forest green. Gold rings decorated his decorated his stubby fingers and he had an air of self importance.

Standing next to him were two women with curly brown hair and blue eyes also in green and gold.

Next to them were the Lannisters and here was where Lily paused. The tall Hand of the King was wearing red with the bronze pin clasped to his breast pocket. Next to him were his son and daughter Cersei and Jaime, mirror images of themselves, except though Jaime had an easy self satisfied smirk on his face, Cersei looked completely sullen and her green eyes were burning fire right at the platform where Elia and Rhaegar were standing.

 _Oh dear, I've seen that look before. It seems the little green eyed monster is the same in every world._

Finally, Lily let her eyes wander outwards towards the windows of the Great Sept where there were several smaller statues standing by the sills. They occupied the railing and were framed by every window around the interior.

She hadn't had a good time to look at them earlier but she was certain that they were more effigies of the Seven.

 _Merlin as if this place didn't have enough statues already. And their eyes are constantly looking downward. It's as if it was the desire of the past kings to make people afraid to pray here._

All of a sudden she frowned and turned back towards the large window across the room where she had been looking earlier. The statues were still there but Lily narrowed her eyes, she had sworn she had seen movement.

 _You're losing it, the heat is making you see things._

She glanced back at the High Septon and suppressed a desire to yank his hood over his greasy self important face. If he droned on any longer she was going to –

Wait a minute.

Lily glanced back at the window and this time she swore she wasn't imagining it. One of the statues was moving.

At first she thought she was hallucinating and narrowed her eyes even further. But as the slow movements continued, Lily became convinced that she wasn't seeing things and that someone was up there.

 _Did one of the peasants sneak into the sept when we weren't looking to watch the wedding? I don't think there are any nobles up there. It'd be too far away to hear much less see anything._

As Lily squinted trying to get a better look at who was up there, she suddenly became aware that the other shadowy figures were moving about on the platform as well.

A sense of alarm filled her and she looked around to see if anyone else was seeing what she was seeing.

A second later she wanted to curse. Everyone was either paying rapt attention to the ceremony taking place or else attempting to show that they were paying attention quite lazily. No one's eyes had drifted to the upper balcony where the windows were because no one had any reason to.

No one else had her vantage point standing on the stone platform in the center of sept. She darted her eyes around to Ashara who was watching the proceedings with a small smile on her face.

No help there.

Lily then glanced at Oberyn who was also watching the proceedings with a fierce look in his eyes. He wasn't looking at Elia so much as he was Oberyn and the red head knew he was making silent oaths in his head of what to do to the prince should he treat his sister badly.

"Father, Mother, Warrior, Maiden, Smith, Crone, Stranger," Elia intoned as the high septon wrapped the ribbon around their wrists. "I am his and he is mine."

Lily concentrated and stared hard at Oberyn, she needed to get his attention. He needed to know that something strange was happening.  
She tried clearing her throat quietly but when that didn't work, she returned to staring hard at him.

A moment later, thank Merlin, he must have felt it for he looked up and met her eyes. His eyes narrowed at her in question.

With short movements, Lily nodded with her eyes and her chin towards the upper balcony. His eyes narrowed even more and slowly he leaned over to Doran who was standing next to him. A short whispered conversation followed where Oberyn barely moved his lips but Doran must have understood him because he nodded a moment later.

Just then there was movement out of the corner of Lily's eye and she jerked her head upwards again towards the balcony.

All of a sudden one of the theories she had mused about with Oberyn the night before came back to her and she realized that they were standing in the perfect trap to take out every member of the royal family in one go. All one had to do was be in the right spot.

It seemed that that spot had been achieved before any noble had ever set foot in the Great Sept.

A sharp stab of panic filled her then when she saw one of the innermost figures reach into a sling on his back and pull out a long object which he fitted to an instrument in his hands.

An instant later the red head realized that it was an arrow being fitted to a string.

She gasped and Ashara must have heard her because the brunette turned toward her with a frown. "What's wrong?"

Just then there was a sharp and decisive twang and Lily realized the dart had been loosed. It came whizzing from the top floor of the balcony and all she had time to scream were the words: "Get down!"

Oberyn was closer to Elia so he grabbed her surprised shoulders and pushed her towards the ground as hard as he could.

Lily meanwhile dove for Prince Rhaegar and managed to shove him out of the way into Ashara who shrieked with surprise.

It was a lucky thing too for a split second later the arrow whizzed through the spot where he had been standing and struck the far wall with a sickening crunch.

After that all hell broke loose.

Terrified screams and shouts of surprise broke out from the large crowd. The Kingsguard raced onto the platform and Ser Arthur seized the arm of the prince and hauled him to his feet.

"We have been lured into a trap your grace!" he shouted. "We must return to the Red Keep immediately!"

Lily was immediately looking for her family. Both Ser Brynden and her father had drawn their swords and were scanning the area for immediate threats. Her sisters in the meantime were looking supremely scared and looking back and forth like caged animals looking for an escape.

All of a sudden there was a loud thud and all eyes turned towards the large doors.

To Lily's astonishment, they had suddenly slammed shut seemingly of their own accord trapping the nobles in the sept.

Apparently those had been the intentions of the shadowy figures all along because before Lily fully registered what was happening, ropes had been thrown from the uppermost balcony and figures in dark robes were hurtling down the cords towards the ground below.

"Get the doors open!" Ser Gerold bellowed at several of the Martell guards down below. He turned to the High Septon who had turned white. "Is there another way out?"

"Ser Gerold – "

"IS THERE ANOTHER WAY?!"

"Yes," the septon said nodding so hard Lily thought his head would fall from his neck. "But it's on the far side of the sept!"

He pointed to a small doorway that was easily fifty feet across the sept and the path to get to it included getting down off the platform and making their way through a screaming writhing stampeding crowd who had no direction.

"We're not going to have time," Prince Oberyn muttered, he had already drawn his weapons. "They're already upon us."

He had no sooner said the words when four of the men in black who had sliced through the crowds like water, cutting down anyone in their way leapt over the side of the platform and now stood before them with two drawn wicked looking swords in each hand.

"Protect the royal family!" was all Ser Gerold had time to shout before they were upon them.

Lily had seen many fighting styles being practiced in the practice area at Riverrun but she had never seen such a fast quick style.

Most of it had to do with the two swords these assassins were carrying as in order to combat them the members of the Kingsguard had to move with blistering speed.

Lily looked wildly around for her family and saw with relief that her uncle and the guards were herding them away from the platform as fast as possible.

But that was all the time she had before she was facing her own hooded assailant, also with two swords in his hands.

One was swung towards her head and the other towards her stomach. Ashara screamed and Lily did the only thing natural.

She ducked.

And as the blade passed an inch from her skin, she hissed the word to the charm that would render him motionless: "Immobulus!"

It worked instantly and his arms and legs locked up. She didn't see the look in his eyes but it didn't matter as the charm had worked.

"I'll take that," she said and snatched the blades from his stiff fingers before raising her leg and kicking him off the platform to the ground below.

"What happened?" Ashara demanded from behind her. "How did you do that?"

Lily didn't answer her and instead handed the brunette a sword. "Do you know how to use this?"  
Ashara gingerly took the weapon as if it were a poisonous snake. "When I was a child my brother showed me a few things but nothing specific."

"Let's hope you remember then," Lily muttered as more and more of black clad assailants came pouring down from the balcony. "I don't think anyone's going to be leaving here without blood on their hands.

Prince Oberyn and Prince Doran had dragged Elia into a circle surrounded by their guards and Ser Arthur was currently watching the back of the prince as they descended the stairs. The platform was already littered with bodies and Ser Arthur's sword was slick with blood.

"Ashara come!" he barked even though he was only a few steps away. "It's not safe."

His words were punctuated with the sudden appearance of more men in black and the air was filled with the clashing of metal once more.

Lily took a step forward and then looked down and cursed. _I'm not going to be able to do anything in a get up like this. I need to get my legs free._

Gripping the blade, she slashed downward and sliced clean through the dress so she was bare from her shins down. It was a jagged cut but it would do. She grabbed Ashara's arm and the two of them dashed for the stairs.

Ser Arthur grabbed his sister's other arm and shoved her roughly in front of him but the brunette didn't let go of Lily's arm and dragged her along with them.

They had no sooner reached the bottom of the platform before the party was once more set upon by hooded assailants.

"Ashara, your grace, get behind me," Ser Arthur yelled as his great sword Dawn flashed through the air once more.

Prince Oberyn and the Martell guards were already fighting their way towards the door on the other side of the sept. Prince Doran also had his sword drawn but he had a tight hold of Elia's arm.

The royal family had separated into three parties and King Aerys and the queen as well as Prince Viserys were being escorted out by Ser Gerold, Ser Jonothor Darry Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Barristan who were cutting a path through the crowd towards the door.

"Lily come!" Elia called over her shoulder when she saw the hesitation of the red head.

Lily felt torn. Going to safety would be so easy. As fast as these assassins were the members of the Kingsguard were named for a reason.

Ser Arthur had dispatched the two in front of him with a lethal grace that made Lily remember why they called him the Sword of the Morning.

Even without Ser Harlan, the Kingsguard were a deadly group of knights. It would be far safer to go with them.

But then she glanced towards the doors of the sept and remembered that her family were still sealed inside. She was the only one who would be able to get those doors open and fast.

It further alarmed her to see there were members of this assailants group who didn't appear as interested in the royal family and were just going through the crowd and killing at will.

Already the ground was littered with the bodies of servants, guards and even some minor lords and ladies.

 _This was a coordinated attack,_ Lily realized.

She glanced at the doors again, remembered her family and that sealed her decision.

"Go!" she said giving Ashara a shove and darting away. "I need to see to my family."

"Don't be a fool Lady Lilian!" Ser Arthur yelled after her. "A lady with a sword is no match for these men!"

 _That's where you're wrong._

As she darted through the crowd, Lily hissed the words to a violent spell under her breath. It was one that would open the doors but possibly have some collateral damage as well.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

A terrific rumble shook the great sept and Lily breathed a sigh of relief as the doors were broken open.

There was a pause in which the congregation stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the destroyed doors. A moment later however they surged forward towards freedom with a combined shout of relief.

That wasn't the end of the fight however.

As Lily raced through the crowd looking for her family, she suddenly came across one of the black clad men cornering what looked to be a minor lady against one of the large statues of the Seven.

It didn't take a genius to understand what his intentions were.

With a snarl, Lily leapt forward and slashed the blade of her borrowed sword against the backs of the man's legs, hamstringing him completely.

As he buckled forward, she brought the sword up in the back cut of the same stroke and hit him in the head.

His descent was much faster after that.

The adrenaline must have been surging in her veins making it hard to hear for it was difficult to comprehend what happened next.

There was a soft grunt from just behind her and she whirled around to find yet another robed man standing just behind her with his sword raised. She hissed in a breath and then released it in shock when the man toppled to the floor, prompting her need to dart out of the way.

Standing just behind him with a bloody hammer and a fierce grin on his face was Robert Baratheon.

"Watch yourself Tully!" he bellowed. "These bastards are everywhere!"

Had the situation been different, she probably would have rolled her eyes but as it stood she didn't have the time because just then Robert did something unexpected.

He leapt forward, seized her about the waist and lifted her into the air.

"Robert Baratheon!" she shrieked at his forwardness. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!"

A half second later he set her down behind him and slashed his hammer with a roar at the other assassin who had been running at her from behind.

Another half second later she realized what he had done and grimaced. _Merlin, he's strong! I don't like knowing that I can be thrown around like a sack of potatoes!_

She was only allowed the luxury of her own thoughts for a minute perhaps before another assassin came at them again.

From there it was just action. This being her first real fight, Lily put her emotional state on auto pilot and just focused on using every muscle to the full.

She muttered spells as she remembered them but most of the time she focused on just swinging her sword. Using magic and fighting at the same time took a special kind of multi tasking that she hadn't mastered yet.

Later she would be thankful that Robert was at her back as the two of them took out assailants together.

At one point as they were fighting their way towards the now blasted open doors, Lily moved away from Baratheon and had turned just in time to see another man running at him while he was locked in combat with yet another.

Having only a few seconds to make a decision, somehow a creative decision worked its way through and the red head dashed for Robert. He had bent his legs slightly as he was slashing his way about his opponent which served her perfectly.

Taking a leap, Lily landed one foot on Robert's bent leg, yanked one of the long pearl earrings from her ear and jabbed the long post of it into the only exposed part of the man that she could find.

His eye.

He fell to the floor that was already slick with blood which a horrific cry and lay their twitching as blood gushed from his ruined eye.

Lily managed to jump free but landed somewhat awkwardly and hissed with pain as she felt a sharp jolt go up her left ankle.

Robert in the meantime had finished bashing the skull of his other opponent in and had whirled at the unexpected intrusion on the fight in time to see what Lily had done.

He was panting slightly but his blue eyes were ablaze with a fire that she had never seen.

"Damn Tully," he said with what sounded like admiration. "You're better than I thought."

Lily grimaced as she pulled out her other earring and tossed it to the ground. "I will never be able to wear these again."

Robert threw back his head and uttered a roaring laugh that echoed off the walls of the sept before bending at the waist to catch his breath. "Best damn wedding I've ever been to."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked around suddenly realizing that they didn't seem to have any more people to fight.

The sept was a mess.

Bodies littered the floor and she could feel the blood soaking through her silk slippers to her distaste.

The only remaining people in the room were several minor lords who had stayed behind to fight along with their guards.

Since she had ripped the doors open with a well placed spell, most of the other nobles had hightailed it outside.

The tall statues of the gods were splattered with blood and gore and the platform where she had been standing for the duration of the wedding looked like some horrific altar upon which animals had been slaughtered.

It was going to take days and scores of people to clean this up.

People….

Lily whirled about to Robert who was also in the process of looking around. "My family, did you see them?"

Robert cursed under his breath and ran a hand through his messy curly black hair. "I think I saw the Blackfish take them through the doors once they came apart." He then frowned darkly at the doors that had been blasted in. "How in the seven hells did that happen anyway?"

Lily decided that wasn't worth mentioning and started for the doors in order to find them.

She didn't get very far though as the ankle she had landed hard on screamed in protest and she came to a screeching halt, muttering to herself in pain.

"What happened?" Robert asked as he came up alongside her with his eyes narrowed.

Lily bent and gingerly touched her ankle, wincing when it protested again. "I decided that perhaps being a lady was beneath me and that being an acrobat like they have in Qarth was a better idea."

Again Robert roared with laughter. "I'm liking you more and more Tully. No one else I know would make a joke about this."

He offered her his arm to her surprise. "Come on, let's go find your family. I have a feeling that you're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

"Not just that," Lily said as she took his arm and hobbled towards the door passing bodies as they went. "I have a feeling there's going to need to be a lot of explanations before today is out."

Ω

Naturally she was correct.

Cat who was pacing back and forth with Lysa about fifty feet away from the sept where they were standing with their guards screamed and then burst into tears when she saw her coming out of the sept with Robert.

Hoster Tully looked like he was about to explode and Ed looked like he was very much trying to decide between anger and tears. Petyr was nowhere to be seen as was Brynden Tully. Axel was screaming in his terrified nurse's arms but otherwise he appeared unharmed.

"What in the seven hells happened in there?!" the Lord of the Riverlands demanded as soon as Lysa and Cat let go of their younger sister.

He then surprised Lily by grabbing her in a hug and holding her tight for a long moment. After about five seconds, Lily felt herself melt and returned his embrace. He so rarely hugged her that whenever he did, she forgot how much she still needed hugs.

"Are you alright?" he asked letting go and taking her face between his hands as he looked her over for injuries.

Lily gave a wry laugh and reached for the squirming Axel who was in turn reaching for her. "I look worse than I actually do."

"I'll say," Cat said. "Gods above and below I don't think I've ever seen you so dirty before."

"A fight like that isn't exactly a walk in the park," Lily said as she bounced her little brother to settle him down. "Who were those men?"

"Your guess would be as good as mine," Hoster said grimly. "I can only speculate that they were of the same order that attacked the princess a week ago in the markets."

 _That sounds about right,_ Lily thought to herself tersely. _I hope Elia and the royal family got back to the keep safely._

Suddenly she looked around and frowned. "Where are Petyr and Uncle Brynden?"

"They went looking for you," Ed said.

"Martin!" Hoster barked at one of the guards standing nearby. "Please go in search of my brother and ward. When you find them, tell them we have retired to the Red Keep. In an hour or so this place will be swarming with guards, I wish to be well away when it happens."

"Yes my lord," the guard replied and hurried for the Great Sept.

"Thank the gods above and below you two are alright," said a familiar voice behind them and Lily turned around to find Lord Arryn standing there with his nephew and wards along with Brandon Stark.

Elbert was silently looking her over for injuries whilst Robert still bore a grin on his face from the rush he had no doubt gotten fighting.

Lily's gaze lingered on him for a minute. She had been amazed to see how alive he had come during the fighting. It was almost as if nothing could touch him. He had been unstoppable and she wondered if that was he seemed to like fighting so much as he seemed the most free while doing it. There was no social protocol in a fight, you could do whatever you wanted.

Ned simply looked relieved and Brandon Stark…well he was just staring at her as if he had never seen her before.

She grimaced and kept her eyes away from him and focused on the Lord of the Vale. "I'm well Lord Arryn. Although I can't say the same about the Great Sept, it's going to be weeks before its set to rights again."

"Never mind that," Elbert muttered as he took in the building behind them and the surprisingly quiet street. "Who in the seven hells were those men and why are they targeting the royal family?"

"Why not?" Lily said. "The political situation certainly isn't the most stable and whatever outside force this is, it senses weakness and is responding. But one thing is for certain, whatever order those men ascribed to, this wasn't an isolated incident and we can expect something like this to happen again until their goal is fulfilled."

"And what goal would that be?" Brandon Stark asked finally and Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

"Pay attention Stark," she said turning back to the eerily silent sept. She could almost feel the eyes of the Stranger on her. "They have the same goal that everyone in this city wants. Power…utterly and completely. And unless something is done soon, they aren't going to stop until they get it."

Ω

 **Well, that escalated quickly. Next chapter will feature the aftermath, the Tullys returning to Riverrun and Lily's time in the capital with all of the court intrigue truly begins. Also, for those who are claiming that Lily and Robert don't have any chemistry, they're not really supposed to at this point in time. Right now, Robert is betrothed to Lyanna so he wouldn't be paying too much attention to Lily and he's still a somewhat simple person. Have patience, this is a slow burn story. I've planned this out from the beginning so when the time is right, they are going to have chemistry. Anyway, don't forget to review and I hope you liked the chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"For the last time Uncle Brynden, no. No one saw anything. There was too much going on for anyone in the sept to pay attention to what I was doing."

"Lilian, you caused the doors of the great sept….to explode. How could no one know the cause of that?"

"Because they were too busy paying attention to the exploding doors to be looking for the person who had done it. No one would suspect magic and even if they did, no one would have any reason to suspect me. They can all write it off as a moment of divine intervention. Seven hells, blame it on the gods for all I care but the factor of one small daughter of a Lord Paramount having anything to do with it will not be on anyone's minds."

Brynden Tully ran a hand through his auburn hair in frustration. He wished his niece weren't so cavalier about this. What he had witnessed was a serious display of magic on her part and after their altercation with the Mountain Tribes in the Vale a while earlier he was beginning to think that there were many things about her that he had yet to understand.

He had been awed when he had seen those enormous doors explode outward, rubble reigning down into the streets like so much ash from the sky.

And then logic had taken over and he had immediately herded the rest of his family outside where they were better surrounded by their guards.

Nobles and ladies came running from every direction, screaming, crying, shouting orders. Some leapt onto horses and peeled out for the keep while other ducked down alleyways in order to escape.

Lilian had been the only member of their family to have not been herded out with them and even though Hoster was certain she would have escaped with the royal family being one of Elia's ladies and all, he didn't have a full understanding of how impulsive Lily was and least of all about her magic.

Brynden knew he had to make sure.

 _Of course Petyr had insisted on going with him to search for her or else make sure she wasn't in the building and had returned to the keep._

 _They had decided to sneak in one of the side doors to make sure that they wouldn't be ambushed by any stray assassins and had split up to search the different corridors of the sept before they had met up again in the main atrium._

 _Needless to say, neither of them had seen Lily, leading Brynden to believe she had escaped with the royal party and was now waiting for them back at the keep._

 _What they did see however was the sheer amount of bodies littering the floor of the great sept. Blood was everywhere and the lower halves of the stone bodies of the gods were splattered with gore._

 _Most were guards and assassins, some were young men and priests and there were a few ladies as well._

 _Brynden hadn't been as interested in the people he did know as the ones he didn't._

 _He had carefully rolled over the body of one of the black robed men with his foot and peered at him with some distaste._

 _Realizing that this would most likely be the only time he would have to ascertain clues to the mysterious attack however, Brynden had knelt and looked closer._

 _It wasn't until he had pulled down the hood covering the hoods of one of the men that he noticed something supremely odd._

 _Looking at the body of another black clad man lying next to the one he was examining, Brynden suddenly had a hunch and pulled down his hood before stifling an exclamation of astonishment._

 _The both of them bore marks on the top of their left breast. It was a large mark but it was not elaborate and perhaps it was the non eloquence of it that made it seem all the more eerie.  
It was a triangular shape with a single line down the center with no other adornments. _

_Brynden frowned deeply at the unfamiliar insignia and then hurriedly checked more bodies for similarities.  
He was further alarmed to see that all bore the same mark.  
"Petyr!" he snapped at the young teenager who was observing the scene from the other side of the room with his mouth hanging open. He had obviously just entered it to find the aftermath of the carnage._

 _His face looked suspiciously green and Brynden winced slightly in sympathy. The boy had never seen war and his own experience with a sword had not gone well._

 _But this….this was something no one had expected to see. Over a hundred dead, some of them guards, some of them servants, some of them minor lords or ladies and still others belonging to this strange cult that had struck twice in the last week.  
"Yes Ser Brynden?" the fourteen year old asked in a small voice._

 _"_ _Please check the bodies of the men in black that you see and tell me if you see any triangular markings on them."  
The boy stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding and bending down slowly to do just that._

 _The next few minutes were filled with a tense silence as both males looked over the bodies around them._

 _"_ _They are," Petyr said finally. "In fact, everybody that I can see has the mark. What in the name of the Seven does it mean?"_

 _"_ _It's a message," Brynden muttered. "Let's hope that the royal family receive it loud and clear."_

"Still," he said. "Was it truly necessary for such a violent display of sorcery?"  
Lily stifled the urge to roll her eyes. "If I were aware of a better spell to open the doors and free everyone and do it just as fast, then I would have used it. But in the end, this was all that I had. And as a result, all members of our family are safe along with the royal members as well."

"I don't know if that will be the case for much longer," Brynden muttered and Lily frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"This is the second attempt at assassination on the royal family in the last week, this has now become a pattern. Some unknown persons or person are targeting the Targaryens and that can only be because they smell blood. They think the crown is weak and are looking to unseat the dragons so another center of power may be installed."

"But who?" Lily wondered. "Who would have the capabilities and the coin to pull off something as extensive as this?"

"I can think of a few nobles with an axe to grind with Aerys Targaryen," Brynden said lowering his voice even further. "But one in particular comes to mind."

Lily frowned. "Surely you aren't suggesting that the Hand – "

"I make no suggestions," the Blackfish said quickly. "But it would certainly fit the bill wouldn't it? He was fixing to install his daughter as the next queen only to have Aerys turn him down flat and give the crown to an outsider."

Lily bristled. "Elia is hardly an outsider."

Brynden raised a hand, "I know that and you know that but others here do not share the same mindset. There were rumors when she was first chosen about her health and her ability to carry the next heir. Those doubts have not been alleviated because there is not yet a child. There are many lords here who would give their left arm to make their daughter a queen, but who has the resources to actually do it?"

Lily exhaled heavily. "You make a valid point however I don't think that such a violent attack is really Tywin Lannister's….style. He doesn't seem like the sort of lord who would show his hand so plainly. I think we're looking at something far more ambiguous and….sinister."

"Perhaps," the Blackfish replied. "For now an official investigation will be launched and the sept will be searched thoroughly. I imagine everyone will be questioned extensively and that any further wedding festivities will be cancelled."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? I may not know the king well enough but one thing Aerys Targaryen possesses in spades is an alarming ability to put on a show to cover up any perceived weaknesses. I guarantee you that there will be a feast tonight even if the Others were to return."

She had no sooner finished her train of thought when suddenly there came a tap on the door.

Frowning, Brynden strode over and flung it open to reveal a servant. "What?"

It was a boy of no more than fifteen years of age and he swallowed hard when he saw the Blackfish's ire.

"Begging your pardon my lord," he stammered after bowing quickly. "But his grace King Aerys has requested the presence of Lady Lilian Tully in the throne room at once."

Brynden turned to his niece and gave her a severe look as if to counter her earlier point about the sure ambiguity of her magic.

Lily gave the look right back to him and then nodded at the servant. "I will be along momentarily, thank you."

The servant nodded and Brynden shut the door before whirling back around to her. "And now he wants to question you about what happened. Why would he be doing that?"

Lily shrugged. "I assume its because I was standing with the royal family right before the incident and I helped to ensure that an arrow did not lodge itself in Prince Rhaegar's head."

Brynden sighed. "Just…be careful. Anyone who catches the attention of Aerys Targaryen needs to conduct themselves with the utmost amount of self control."

"Is that in order to compensate for his lack of it?" Lily asked wryly as she headed for the door.

"I am being perfectly serious Lilian!"

Lily stopped at the door with her hand on the knob and turned back to her father's brother. "You do not need to worry Uncle Brynden. I don't intend to take any unnecessary risks. I'll tell my side of the story and then allow the king to decide for himself how to handle this threat. My only responsibility is ensuring that nothing happens to the princess. Prince Oberyn asked me to keep an eye on her and that's what I intend to do."

And then without giving him another chance to respond, she turned and flung the door open before marching out of it.

What she didn't hear was her uncle's muttered curses and absent entreaties to the Crone to give him wisdom on how to deal with his wayward niece.

Lily put her uncle's words out of her mind as she neared the throne room. No one had seen anything and there was nothing to explain. Even if they had, who would actually believe what they had seen.

She knew Brynden's knee jerk reaction had been merely because he was just being introduced to her magic and to see such a violent display on such a grand scale had to have been a bit hard for him to process.

Brynden Tully was as grounded a man as Westeros had ever seen so for him to accept that there were forces in this world stronger than the reach of a man's arm or his mind's strategy had to be difficult to swallow.

But no matter.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up and down the quiet hall stalling for a moment. The candles in the arches had all been lit but the corridors were eerily silent and Lily knew everyone had to be in their rooms recuperating from the bewildering events of the day.

Finally she released her breath, squared her shoulders and pushed the doors open before striding into a very quiet throne room.

Unlike the corridors however it was not empty and in her first ten seconds within its walls, Lily observed the royal family, or rather the three most important members of them standing on the dais at the far end of the room, Prince Rhaegar and the queen on either side of the throne where Aerys was sitting.

Also standing before the dais was a curious collection of knights and nobles. Chief among them were Princess Elia and Ashara Dayne who's brother was standing at her side.

Prince Lewyn, Ser Gerold, Ser Oswell, Ser Barristan Selmy and Princes Doran and Oberyn were also present.  
Noting that prince Viserys was not in attendance, Lily decided that Jonathor Darry must be with him.

Also standing next to the King was a grim faced Tywin Lannister who looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

"Lady Lilian," the king called in his old and creaky voice from the dais. "At last, we have been expecting you."

"My apologies your grace," Lily said as she strode forward. "I came as soon as I received the message."

"Your arrival is timely," the king said, "as is the occurrence of two separate incidences that you were able to thwart this week. You seem to be a very….lucky person."

Lily paused before the dais and curtsied low as she could feel all eyes on her. The gazes of the Kingsguard were ones of scrutiny save for that of Prince Lewyn and Ser Barristan who almost looked encouraging.

Elia nodded at her when she raised her head and Ashara gave her a small smile. Prince Doran merely looked grim but there was a smile in Oberyn's eyes that instantly put her at ease.

"I've been told that your grace," she said calmly.

Aerys smiled, but it was a smile that caused his eyes to glitter in a feverish fashion that gave him an almost crazed look. "I have heard the story from my good daughter and Prince Lewyn but given the circumstances of today's events, I would like to hear your story."

 _This isn't an interrogation,_ Lily thought furiously to herself as she twisted her hands behind her back. _He isn't accusing you of anything._

"There truly isn't much to tell your grace," Lily said. "But if I have your indulgence in this matter I will explain. Princess Elia, Lady Ashara and I taking the air in the marketplace earlier this week when we wandered into a large alley just behind the Street of Steel which carried unique textiles. We were perusing the stalls when I happened to look around and catch sight of a man wearing long robes standing at the entrance to the alley. Upon closer inspection I realized I could not see his face but his presence made me uneasy. Because of that I took another few seconds to look around and was alarmed to see men dressed in a similar garb standing at the other entrances to the alley almost as if they were purposefully boxing us in. Being further alarmed I turned to the princess and suggested that we leave immediately.

"No sooner had the words left my mouth when all of a sudden there was a hissing sound and Ser Harlan fell from a dart that had passed through the eye sockets of his helm. Immediately chaos ensued and the Martell guards entreated us to take refuge in the nearest building which happened to be an orphanage.

"Once inside, we barricaded the door and decided to split up so as to make it difficult to be found. However I had no sooner hidden myself behind a stack of barrels just off of the main hallway when the door broke open and a robed man hurried into the hallway and made his way into the great room where I had seen the princess go.

"Feeling concerned, I emerged from my hiding place and followed him as quietly as I could. It wasn't until I entered the Great Room that I saw that the princess's efforts to hide had not met with success as she was backed against the wall on the far side of the room with an assassin's blade at her throat.

"The orphanage itself must have been disturbed during dinner as plates and food were still resting upon the table. I grabbed the heaviest object I could find which turned out to be an iron pan and proceeded to connect it to the back of the man's skull. He dropped like a stone and we were found not long after by a few Martell guards who had survived the onslaught."

"Your grace if I may suggest a course of action?" Ser Gerold spoke up and Aerys sighed in an almost long suffering manner. "Yes Lord Commander?"

"We need to replace our fallen brother right away, Ser Harlan's position must not remain un-filled."

"Your concern has been duly noted Lord Commander," King Aerys said in a dismissive tone that was anything but concerned. He turned back to Lily and his violet eyes continued to glitter with interest. "Go on my lady."

"That's really all there is to tell your grace," the red head replied spreading her hands in a demonstrative manner. "We returned to the keep and the guards were increased by Princes Doran and Oberyn as you know."

"Ah, but then there was the small matter of what happened today," the king said raising a finger in the air. "You were the first to spot the assassin the balcony of the great sept. Why was that?"

 _You're not being accused of anything._

"Forgive me your grace, but hot air rises and while I was standing upon the platform next to the princess and the rest of the royal party, the heat became unbearable to the point of distraction. In order to take my mind off of how hot I was, I began to look around the sept. My eyes strayed past the balcony and that was where I caught sight of him."

"And how did you appear to know that the arrow was meant for the prince?"

"I didn't," Lily said. "In truth it was enough that the arrow was sent towards the platform at all. I merely reacted to it."

The king sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin in a musing manner. His eyes drifted towards the ceiling as if he were thinking deeply about something and for a long moment there was a tense silence in the throne room.

Lily's gaze drifted towards the other members of the royal family. Queen Rhaella herself looked pale and strained and Lily grimaced to think of the toll that the attack had had on her. Prince Viserys was just a child and she shuddered about how close he had come to the blade of a knife.

Prince Rhaegar on the other hand looked shockingly indifferent, but his face was always blank so Lily wasn't certain he was even mentally all there.

 _Perhaps he's just a beautiful bubblehead._

"You seem to be an individual with an uncanny amount of luck," the king said jerking Lily back to reality. "Twice your resourcefulness and quick thinking has saved a member of this family. I would like to see that continue."

"With all due respect your grace, I would simply like to see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice," Lily said. "No one knows who they are or where they've come from."

"Indeed," Aerys said. "But perhaps that is something you can help with."

Lily frowned. "Me?"

"Yes," the king said. "I would like to see you assist in the investigation. It seems you have the skills to succeed where members of the Kingsguard have failed."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily glimpsed Ser Gerold stiffen and she wanted to grimace herself.

"What do you want me to do your grace?" she asked.

"Peruse the city," the king said. "The common folk have a way of seeing things that the nobles don't. They are far more likely to know things that we do not. Find out who these men are, where they have come from and who has sent them. Then we may be able to ascertain what it is that they want."

"Pardon me your grace but I think it is quite obvious what they want, or what whoever has sent them wants," Lily said tentatively knowing she had to be careful here.

"Do tell," the king said beckoning her to speak.

He was being extremely rational and Lily knew she had to take advantage of this moment of lucidity.

"Power your grace," she said. "Isn't that what all men want? Whoever has sent these men and is the grand architect behind this assassination scheme must sense that there is an…evolution of power taking place. A marriage is the most public event that commoners would have access to. Is it not at all possible that this mastermind believes that this wedding would have been a place to stake his claim to power?"

A long silence followed this question and Lily wondered if she had overstepped her bounds. This was the king that people had called mad after all, unhinged at the very least. But his clarity was beginning to make her uneasy.

One thing she was instantly aware of was the sharpening of Tywin Lannister's gaze on her. His eyes had narrowed as she gone through her speech to the point of them going very nearly into splits.

Merlin only knew what _he_ was thinking about.

"You're a sharp little thing aren't you?" Aerys said with a small but eerie smile that made Lily swallow hard. "You may be correct. House Targaryen will made strong through this and we will rise like the dragons we are."

He paused here and then finally turned and looked at all gathered. "You are all dismissed to prepare for the feast tonight."

"There's going to be a feast?" Oberyn asked. "But your grace – "

Doran elbowed him hard in the ribs then and he fell silent.

"Indeed Prince Oberyn," Aerys said grinning madly as he got to his feet. "I will not have this great House made to look weak and cowardly in the eyes of the realm. We are dragons and we will behave as such."

He looked out across the room and raised a hand as if he were addressing a non-existent crowd. "This room will be ablaze with the fire of torches tonight. Make it so. Let our enemies know that they have tried to shake the foundations of this house and they have failed."

As the small party began to disperse, Doran and Oberyn muttering together, Aerys fixed Lily with one more long stare.

"Find our enemies my lady," he said in a low whisper that caused a chill to rise on Lily's skin. "Find them and bring them before me. For I will see them all _burn."_

Ω

"So when does your investigation begin Madame Sleuth?" Ashara teased.

Lily rolled her eyes at her friend and didn't answer right away. At the moment they standing against one of the large pillars in the throne room watching the dancing take place around them.

Aerys' insistence that a wedding feast take place had met with little protest from the rest of the guests who were eager to forget what had happened that day and take part in some merriment.

Brynden had been flabbergasted at the king's indifference to the attack but Lily hadn't said a word about his charge to her. She was still shocked by it herself.

She had heard word of the mental state of the king but never in a million years did she think he would do something this obtuse.

After all, wasn't this the man who held his own good daughter in contempt simply because she wasn't a Targaryen and the man who had scorned Tywin Lannister's attempts to make his daughter a queen?

"I will not pretend to know what game the king is playing," Lily muttered under her breath to her friend as they watched the dancing. "From what I have heard females are less than persons to him."

Ashara shrugged. "That may be true but there is one thing that he values more than blood…and that is talented individuals, people who stick out above the rest and the fact that you were able to thwart two assassination attempts against the royal family in the same week has made you a person of interest to him. His eyes will be on you while you are at court, I hope you know that."

Lily grimaced. "I had hoped to avoid that."

Ashara fell silent for a moment and glanced down at her feet causing Lily to look at her in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I know that I may not mean as much in the grand scheme of things as a prince or princess," the brunette began, "but I feel I should thank you. You saved my life too by stepping in when that man jumped on the platform."

"Think nothing of it," the red head said raising a hand dismissively. "We all did what we had to do in order to survive."

"Yes, but you reacted first and you did so in such a way that not only did you dispatch the man attacking us, but you gave us an advantage as well. How did you get to be so resourceful?"

Lily sighed. "Ashara I think you know by now that I am not exactly a lady. I'm the youngest daughter of three so my father doesn't pay as much attention to what I do. That left room for my uncle to take over my training and education. He saw that I wasn't like my sisters and that I wasn't getting as much attention so he decided he was going to assist in raising me. One of the things he did teach me was to be ready to react to anything and everything. And remember, I saw the assassins before you did. I had the mental time to prepare."

"Be that as it may," Ashara said. "You almost seemed….battle tested. You're younger than I am though. How could that be?"

A flash of green light and high pitched laughter bounced off the deep recesses of Lily's mind and she fought back a shudder.

"I think I just have sharp instincts Ashara," she said. "That's truly all it is."

The Dayne girl gave her a searching look before turning away to take a sip from her goblet of wine. "Very well, keep your secrets."

"It's not a secret!" Lily protested.

"My ladies."

Both girls looked up to find a rather pink cheeked Eddard Stark standing in front of them. His hands were folded behind his back and he looked a bit nervous.

"Yes my lord?" Ashara asked with the easy smile of a practiced femme fatale.

"If I may be so bold Lady Ashara as to ask for this dance?" the young lord said in an even quieter tone and Lily glanced down at her feet, biting her lip to hold back a smile.

She had only known Ned for a few weeks but she had grown rather fond of him and secretly wished that he was the oldest of the Stark boys so her sister might marry him. Ned seemed far better suited to be a lord paramount than his hotheaded brother.

"Of course Lord Eddard," Ashara said taking the proferred arm. She sent a wink Lily's way as Ned led her to the dance floor and Lily rolled her eyes.

 _Life with these new friends in the capital is going to be fun,_ she thought wryly to herself. _Ashara, Elia, Uncle Brynden and perhaps Prince Oberyn. I hope this doesn't turn into an improvised version of the Marauders. Or do I?_

A sudden clearing of the throat behind her caused her to look up.

To her dismay, Brandon Stark emerged from the pillar behind her and moved smoothly in front of her, causing her to have to focus her attention on her sister's wayward betrothed.

"What do you want Stark?" she asked with perhaps a little more bite than necessary.

The heir to the north raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps a bit more cordiality from my future good sister?"

Lily mirrored his expression. "Is that right? Let me tell you one thing Stark. I only give respect to those who had earned it and in my eyes, you have earned none. You wish to impress me? Start by making an effort with my sister and then we'll talk."

To her annoyance Stark folded his arms across his chest and began to chuckle. "I can see you're not going to be easy to win over. In some ways you remind me of my sister. Tell me, how did a southern flower get to be so tenacious and use a sword so well?"

This time, Lily did roll her eyes. "You need to pull your head out of the north Stark. Northern girls aren't the only ones who know their way around a blade. This will be the final time I will explain this to a male who can't see beyond his own nose. My Uncle is the Blackfish who fought in the war of the Nine Penny kings with men like Ser Barristan Selmy. He's one of the most brilliant warriors in the kingdom and I was blessed to be able to learn from him at a young age. I believe I've answered all the questions I need to answer from you. Why don't you go find my sister and attempt to woo her like you should have been doing all along?"

She made to walk away but was shocked when Brandon shot out a hand and took hold of her arm.

Her green eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "You will remove your hand at once my lord. I will not be man handled by a hot headed male that doesn't know how to keep his distance."

Her tone must have been beyond dangerous for Brandon's eyes widened and he immediately released her.

"My apologies," he said in a softer tone that made her pause. "You simply caught me off guard. I don't often have the privilege of meeting women who are as strong willed as they are skillful. You surprised me. Is it so wrong to want to know someone like that?"

Lily regarded him carefully for a moment before she released her clenched fists. "Your apology is accepted."

"May we start over?" Brandon asked in an almost pleading tone that surprised Lily. "I truly wish to get to know you if we are to be family."

Lily cocked her head to one side, "My concern my lord is that I am merely being used as a shield to stay away from my sister. Make no mistake, I may not agree with Catelyn on every matter but I will have her back no matter the situation. You are her betrothed and I will not shame her or my house by spending time with you apart from her. You have obligations that have nothing to do with me. My sister and I may be different but her desires to be a good wife and mother are admirable and I would see her be happy before I am. You have no idea what a treasure you are being given but I promise you if you let yourself, you will."

Brandon was staring at her as if she had given him all the secrets of the universe.

"How can you say these things?" he finally asked. "You are wise beyond your years and yet you are younger than I?"

"I have been blessed to have the right influences in my life my lord," Lily said seriously. "And if you are who I think you are, so have you. I had the distinct privilege of meeting your brother in the Vale and I happen to think very highly of him. He is a person who wants nothing more than to serve the north and give of himself whenever and wherever he can. I would be honored to be with someone like that."

She didn't see it as she was looking out on the dance floor where Ned was whirling Ashara about with a small smile on his face and she was laughing, but Brandon Stark's expression tightened at this ending statement.

"Ned is an honorable person," he said quietly. "Sometimes I wish he was born first. He would be far better suited to running the north than I."

Lily frowned and turned back to him. He sounded sincere and she wondered if this was the first genuine moment they had shared.

 _You shouldn't be sharing anything with him,_ a stern voice inside of her declared. _This man is to be your sister's husband. If Cat were to even see you right now she might be livid._

She sighed, she really needed to cut this conversation short before anyone saw them and got ideas.

"Think of it this way my lord," she said. "You have been given a unique opportunity to improve the quality of life for the north. Not many people will be given the power that you have. The north is the largest territory in Westeros and accounts for an enormous percentage of its economy. You may not have the adventures you're craving but in the end, you do have the ability to make the north a better place. It's not all about you and before you can be the lord that the north needs, you need to remember that. Good day."

And then before he could stop her, she turned and walked off alongside the outside of the dance floor watching the dancing and hoping that not too many people had noticed her long conversation with the heir to the north.

She didn't see Cat among the dancers but Petyr seemed to be dancing with Lysa which surprised and delighted her.

Lysa had taken to the dancing effortlessly while the skin between Petyr's eyebrows was pinched as he stepped unsteadily to the right and left. It was a sure sign that he was frustrated.

Lily hoped that her sister didn't notice.

She took a flute of wine off of the tray that a servant passing her was carrying and paused by one of the pillars on the opposite side of the room.

Drinking wine was a new thing to the red head but living in an entirely different culture than the one in England had made this a consistent thing for her.

She remembered having firewhiskey only once at a party in her seventh year when Gryffindor had won the House Cup and absolutely loathed it, going so far as to spit it out in the fire to the laughs of James and Sirius.

This wine was quite different and was well watered down making it palatable and almost sweet.

As she leaned against the pillar and watched Ned whirling her friend about the dance floor, she used the glass to hide a smile and dismissed her conversation with Brandon Stark.

 _It would be nice for Ashara to end up with someone like Ned. He's one of the few honorable people that I've met here._

"Hell of a day wasn't it?"

Lily started and turned to find Robert Baratheon leaning against the pillar next to her giving her a cheeky smile.

He too was dressed in his finest but this time his tunic and breeches were a deep golden color with black billowing sleeves. His curly black hair was resting neatly against the colors of his tunic and he looked perfectly relaxed.

His blue eyes danced as he looked down at her and it irritated Lily that she had to tip her head back to look at him.

"It certainly was," she muttered as she took a sip from her wine. "You seemed to have enjoyed yourself though."

"There's nothing I hate worse than weddings," the young lord rumbled as he looked out over the dancing. "All the priests talking about the favor of the gods. Pah! The gods don't exist."

"I would be careful who you say such things to," Lily said quietly. "I am no devout follower of the Seven, but there are many in this city who are."

"Like the king?" Robert scoffed. "You don't honestly think he believes in them do you? He is a man who believes in his own power and bloodline only."

"Very true," Lily said, "I suppose that will be the only thing the king and I do agree on."

Robert frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I believe the gods have no say and no power over what we do. A man or woman's fortunes are dictated by their actions and their actions alone."

The look Robert gave her then was a curious one. It was a mixture of surprise and intrigue as if she had said something that he had always believed but never known anyone else did too.

"Hmm," was all he said after a moment.

Silence reigned between the pair for a moment but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Lily felt as if she should say something and opened her mouth several times but no words came to her tongue.

She was therefore thankful when Robert chose the next moment to speak up.

"Tell me something Tully," he said, "have you been practicing since we left the Vale? You seemed to have improved."

The red head snorted. "I was fighting for my life my lord, when the blood is racing through your veins you tend to do whatever is necessary in order to survive."

Robert guffawed causing her to smile slightly. "Was that why you jumped on my leg and stabbed that bastard's eye out with your earring? Damn it all girl I don't think I've ever seen that before."

Lily snorted again. "Very well maybe that was some theatrics on my part but I was running out of time, your back was turned and it was the best I could do under the circumstances."

"Nevertheless it was well thought out," Robert said in a surprisingly thoughtful tone. "How is your ankle?"

Lily blinked and glanced down at the aforementioned limb. "It's well thank you. I soaked it for a time and then kept off of it before tonight. I expect I merely jarred it."

Robert nodded and the two leaned back against the pillar again, remaining in silence until Lily decided to continue the conversation in a different manner.

"Have you come to any conclusions about the source of the attack?" she asked in a low voice and Robert chuckled darkly before tipping the last of the wine down his throat.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

"Maybe not to some," Lily said hiding her mouth behind her glass. "But I would like to hear your explanation."

With his own glass Robert gestured towards the dais where the king, the queen and the prince and newly named princess were sitting. "How many people do you see there?"

"Four."

"How many of them are blood Targaryens?"

"Three," Lily said. "But with the marriage to the princess there is the hope that soon there will be more upon the way."

"There is that hope," Robert said. "But so far there hasn't been and someone has decided to take advantage of the lack of royal blood."

"Is that the only conclusion you have drawn?" Lily asked. "I inquire merely because I have drawn the same solutions myself…but there is the tricky matter of who is pulling the strings of the puppet."

"Gods I hate politics," the tall lord rumbled as he snagged another wine glass from the tray of a passing servant. "You couldn't pay me enough to sit on that throne listening to people bellyaching about their problems."

"I hate to break it to you," Lily said casting a wry eye in his direction. "But you're going to be doing those very things albeit on a minor scale. You are the heir to Storm's End are you not?"

Robert muttered several dark curses under his breath. "Not if I had anything to say about it."

Lily huffed. _Good lord, is every man I am to speak to going to moan about the power he has been given?_

"You know there are many people who would crave the same chances that you are being handed," she said in a low voice.

"Don't you start," Robert growled. "You sound exactly like Jon. Always saying to make the most out of every given opportunity and to benefit those around us, to make the realm a better, safer place."

"Lord Arryn is a very wise man," Lily said stoically. "You'd do well to listen to him. I'm inclined to think he only wants what's best for you."

To this Robert said nothing and Lily decided she wasn't going to force the issue. She didn't know Robert well enough to entreat him to her way of thinking and she didn't want to give herself the headache in trying.

Not having known him for long, she was able to ascertain that he was the most stubborn man she had ever met.

A part of her wanted to ask about the woman in the Vale and the child she was carrying and if Robert had seen them.

 _I know bastards are treated with contempt in this world,_ she thought to herself. _But I certainly hope someone will make certain the child is well cared for. Maybe I should mention it to Lord Arryn. He seemed concerned enough about its wellbeing._

All of a sudden a shadow fell across her and she looked up to see the tall form of her father standing in front of her.

He was alone and she wondered where her siblings were before she decided that Ed must have assuredly gone back to his rooms.

"Father," she said inclining her head.

"Lilian," the Lord of the Riverlands said in a rough voice. "I pray that you follow me. There is someone we must speak to."

Lily frowned. His manner was rarely this serious.

"Is there a problem father?" she asked.

"Not at all," Lord Tully said. He nodded at Robert who gave him a small smile in return. "Lord Baratheon."

He then turned and walked off without a word prompting Lily to shoot his back with a confused look.

"You'd better follow him," Robert said with a chuckle as he snagged another wine glass going by. "He doesn't seem like he's in a very good mood."

"That's one thing you might have to become accustomed to about my father Baratheon," Lily muttered as she squared her shoulders and strode off. "He's rarely in a good mood."

She followed the tall lord through the crowd as fast as she could until she had caught up with him. "Father, what on earth is going on?"

"A request has been made for your hand," the Lord of the Riverlands said in a low voice. "And the man in question is of excellent character and birth. I think you will find him quite agreeable."

Lily nearly came to a screeching halt. "You don't think I'm a little young for an arranged marriage?"

Hoster waved his hand dismissively. "Before long you will be five and ten. There are many girls of noble birth that age who are married and producing heirs. Besides I think once you meet him you will have no further objections."

That gave Lily pause as she hurried to keep up with him. They were skirting the outside of the ballroom now away from all of the party guests heading for Merlin knew where and Lily was becoming more and more confused by the moment.

"Father!" she snapped, finally seizing hold of his arm and bringing him to a halt. "What on earth is the rush? And who is this young man that you seem so excited about?"

"I do not wish to blow this opportunity Lilian," Hoster replied as he continued walking. "This is a most advantageous match and it will guarantee that House Tully is connected with three of the greatest houses in Westeros."

"Spare me the political ramblings," Lily snapped. "Are you going to tell me who the man is or not?"

"Hoster stopped and sighed but he didn't turn around. "I fear you're going to have your hands full my lord. My youngest has never been easy. She would make any man a wonderful wife if they could only look past her tongue."

Lily wanted to scream at being ignored but then a familiar voice from the other side of her father stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm quite aware of Lady Lilian's tongue Lord Hoster and if I wanted a wife who was easy, I would have chosen a Hightower girl. As it stands, my uncle and I think Lilian is a far better match."

Lily blinked and poked her head around her father only for the breath to catch in her throat when she realized who he was speaking to.

"You!" she burst out.

"Me," Elbert Arryn said with a smile. He stood there looking taller and fairer then ever in his sky blue Arryn garments, long sword at his waist and boyish smile on his face. His blonde hair was tousled and his blue eyes sparkled. "I hope you won't think me too forward Lady Lilian but I thought I had better throw my sword into the ring before anyone else came along and snapped you up."

Ω

There had been few times in her first or second life where Lily found herself speechless. She was always accustomed to having a witty comeback or being able to snap at people in a way that at least didn't make her seem like she had nothing to say.

But now…now she had absolutely _nothing_ to say.

Judging from the look on Elbert's face, he knew it too and was relishing the unexpected moment of silence.

 _Open your damn mouth Tully!_ The red head mentally screamed. _Anything is better than silence!_

Instead all she did was manage to blink a few times and hugely emphasize the words: "I beg your pardon?"

"For the sake of the gods Lilian, close your mouth you resemble those trout the fishermen haul into Riverrun on a daily basis," her father declared and Lily closed her mouth with a snap grinding her teeth together as she did so.

"And when was this idea proposed?" she asked through clenched teeth. She wasn't sure why she was angry but perhaps it was merely at being blindsided, her father could have at least waited until after the feast to tell her.

First she had been made the king's official investigator into assassination attempts and now she was engaged.

"This afternoon," her father said calmly folding his hands together. "Lord Arryn and his nephew approached me not long after we arrived back at the keep with the offer of an alliance between the Riverlands and the East. Naturally with Catelyn set the join the North and the Trident together and Lysa betrothed to the lions, it was time to focus on your future union."

"How perfect," Lily said in the same breathless manner she always used when she was trying to contain her irritation. "It certainly is wonderful how things simply fall into place isn't it?"

Her manner was dripping with acerbic sarcasm and Elbert wasn't dense for his eyes narrowed at her in speculation and Lily wanted to grimace.

Thankfully the blonde then took that opportunity to speak up. "Lord Tully, might Lilian and I have a word alone?"

"Of course Lord Elbert," Hoster said. He turned back to his daughter and threw a severe look her way as if to say, _don't you dare mess this up._

If Lily were a bit more immature she might have stuck her tongue out at him but that would have looked ridiculous.

As soon as he had gone, Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. When she opened her eyes again, Elbert was still standing there and she knew she ought to say something to convey that she wasn't angry with him.

Before she could however, Elbert came alongside of her and offered her his arm. "Might we walk Lady Lilian. There are a few things I'd like to explain."

Lily glanced at him and noted the almost worried furrow of his brow before she relaxed and nodded. "Of course Lord Elbert."

The two maintained a measured silence until they had left the torches, music, dancing and wine behind and were out of the keep entirely.

Once they had reached the cool quiet of the gardens, Elbert stopped and turned to her. "I suppose I should have spoken to you before your father reached you but at the moment, I was simply eager to see this agreement in place."

Lily closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm not angry my lord, at least not at you. My father simply has a habit of springing news on me and expecting me to accept it as demurely as a mouse. He will never understand that I am not Catelyn and so when I am told that I am being given in marriage to someone, I want to be warned well beforehand what I can expect from that person. I want to know who they are, what their character is, how they treat others and what they do with the power they are given. I want to know who it is that I will be spending the rest of my life with. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does!" Elbert burst out. "And that way of thinking is exactly why I spoke to my uncle about you. I knew after your stay in the Eyrie you were someone I needed to keep my eye on. My uncle has been hinting for the last year or so that it was high time we begin looking for a Lady of the Vale. But I put him off simply because I wouldn't know the woman who would hold that title before I met her. It may strike you as odd, but I don't simply want to marry for political advantage either."

Lily cocked her head to one side up at the tall blonde either. "Truly?"

"Yes truly! I knew what expected of me as the last Arryn and the high standard my uncle has set and to be perfectly honest with you my lady I question whether I will be able to live up to his standards. But I wish to try…and when the inevitable happens I wish to have the right person at my side."

For once Lily was silent. This was truthfully all she had been hoping for when she comprehended that arranged marriages were a primary part of culture in her new life. If her freedom was restricted at least she could find a person who was honourable and kind. And perhaps she had found that person.

 _Don't get too ahead of yourself Lily,_ the voice of practicality in her mind snapped. _Elbert seems nice enough but this is a lifetime commitment we are talking about. You don't just agree to spend the rest of your life with someone on a whim. You need to get some control back._

"All of that sounds wonderful my lord," she said. "And I applaud your vision for your future. But how are you so certain that I am the partner you need for it? I am not yet five and ten and you are about to reach your majority. The Vale will soon be yours while I am still a child in the eyes of the realm."

"The fact that you cannot truly see how capable of a woman you are is exactly why I need someone like you by my side," Elbert said as they continued to walk. "Yes you are young, but you have the sharpest tongue of any woman I ever met which means you will not be afraid to check someone when they are wrong, regardless of who they are. You are also the bravest and most skilled woman I know, one of the few who did not run for her life when the Great Sept was attacked earlier today. I've never known a woman who could fight like you do which means life with you will be far grander of an adventure than any I could find with another. Yes, you are young but these qualities are only going to become greater as time goes on. You also have a heart that denies rank or stature, you care and you care abundantly. How could I not want to be with someone like that?"

Another sort of silence came over Lily then. This time it was a contemplative one. She had never heard herself described in such a way before. Elbert certainly had a higher opinion of herself than she did.

"You seem to comprehend a great deal my lord," she said carefully. "But are you sure what you comprehend is true?"

Elbert surprised her further then by taking both of her hands in his. "I do not think you have it in you to be a liar my lady. In fact I do not think there is a dishonest bone in your body. You are someone to whom truth is very important."

Lily swallowed hard, remembering the very large secret she was keeping about her magic and then cleared her throat. "I hope I can live up to your expectation of me my lord."

"There is not a doubt in my mind that you will," the blonde said as they continued their walk. "And it would never be my intention to force you into something that you do not want. So I must ask, if there is any part of you that desires not to see this union take place in our futures, please tell me now and I will inform my uncle."

Now _that_ was surprising.

Lily gazed up at the heir to the Vale with new eyes. She had known him to be fair and honest, but this act of unselfishness surprised her. She had seen many lords in her time here who were the epitome of selfish, either in their desires for power or their desires to get away from it at the expense of others.

She had never seen one who would freely welcome the scorn of others as well as potential disagreeable matches in order to make someone else happy.

She felt her heart warm at his words. _He is giving me an enormous amount of respect. How can I not do the same?_

"There's no need for that my lord," she said slowly. "You have alleviated some of my fears. I know you are not like the others. I think I was simply overwhelmed, I had no idea that you felt this way. It's very humbling."

"Whatever praise I have given you my lady, I certainly think you are worthy of it," Elbert said with a small smile that lit up his entire face and brought a lift to Lily's own lips.

"I don't want to marry yet," she said. "I must ensure that you know that. I haven't even begun to live a life yet. Perhaps in a few years time?"

"I know," Elbert said. "Take all the time you need. Please just know that I will be waiting for you when you are ready. And I hope to get to know you in that time too. I am certain of my choice but I want you to be as well."

Lily then did something that surprised her. She stood on her toes and kissed Elbert on the cheek. "Thank you my lord. Then I will happily accept your proposal of marriage. I just need time."

"And I will happily give it," Elbert said. He looked a little surprised from her actions but pleased as well. "I would just like to be a part of that time that you need."

"So would I?" Lily said retaking his arm. "So how are we to go about that? I am to remain the capital for the next little while with the Princess and you are to return to the Vale correct?"

"That is correct," Elbert mused as they strolled past the starlight garden. "However I know that Robert and Ned will soon be returning to the north and the Stormlands respectively. It won't be long before my uncle turns over control of the Vale to me. He's taught nearly everything I need to know in the way of running it, however I'll never truly know how capable I am until I am in command."

"The next few months are going to be interesting," Lily mused. "How are we going to spend time getting to know one another when you are in the East and I am here?"

 _How indeed?_ Said a small voice in the back of her mind. _Would now be a prudent time to bring up the subject of your magic? This man might be the one you spend the rest of your life with here. And he seems to be one of the better ones._

She swallowed hard and fought back the notion. She didn't know Elbert well enough for that yet. There was no telling how he would take the concept of her magic.

As it stood only her uncle and Elia knew and that had only come in the last few days. She would have to trust a person with her life before she would ever mention as ground breaking a secret as this.

"Well," Elbert began and snapped her back to reality. "Suppose I were to remain here in the capital with you for however long you are to serve the new princess?"

Lily blinked. "Would your uncle consider such a notion? You are the heir to the Vale after all."

"I know not," the blonde said with a shrug. "But I certainly can ask. The worst he could do is say no. Or perhaps some sort of deal could be worked out where I travel back and forth between the Vale and here."

"You would do that for me?" Lily asked in a soft whisper both humbled and touched.

"Lily," Elbert said stopping their stride and taking her hands again. "I am beginning to find that there is a lot I would do for you. I've never met a woman quite like you and that is a very relieving thing. I was beginning to think that the future lady of the Vale would be a woman more concerned with her reflection than with justice, kindness and courage. You are all three of those things."

Lily could feel her cheeks burning and glanced down at her feet, very glad that the darkness was hiding the color.

"Thank you my lord," she said softly. "And if I may say you, you seem to be the sort of man that any woman would be happy to spend her life with. I'm very honored that you've chosen me."

"The honor is far more mine," the blonde said. He bent then and surprised Lily even more by brushing her cheek with a gentle kiss. "I can only thank the gods you came along when you did and knocked some sense into me. Goodnight my lady."

He turned then and strode off, leaving a stunned red head in his wake with her hand pressed to a tingling cheek.

She smiled as the watched the tall blonde turn a corner and disappear. To know that she had made such an impact on him in the short time they had known each other was humbling to say the least.

And then the memory of James' face drifted to the front of her mind and a bitter sweet feeling welled up in her so strong that she could almost taste.

She sighed and seated herself down on a nearby bench near a bed of pearl white flowers folding her hands in her lap.

This was a lot to take in. The king in a moment of insanity had decided to make her his official palace investigator and she was now engaged.

And while both things weren't bad per se, she liked the man she was engaged to but they would need to know each other far better before she could consider love. At least they were friends before all of this.

And then the words Elia had imparted to her a week ago in the marketplace came floating back.

 _You get to know that person before you fall in love and sometimes that can be a wonderful thing. Friendship before love is how it should be._

"Very well then," the red head said to herself. "We shall be friends and I will do my part to make this work. If I want any sort of happiness in a marriage in this life than hard work is the only way to get there."

That decided she got to her feet and strode off into the gardens. She had an assassin to find.

As soon as she disappeared around corner, the bushes several feet from where she had been sitting parted and out stepped a familiar form.

Petyr Baelish looked at the spot where his childhood friend had sat and felt his hands clench into fists.

He may have been reticent before but not again.

If he didn't do something soon, he would lose Lily forever….she was one of the few good things he had in his life.

And he wouldn't and couldn't let her get away.

Ω

 **And here we are. Lily has been made the king's official detective, she is now engaged to Elbert Arryn and he will be spending equal amounts of time in the capital and in the Vale. However make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, she is still going to end up with Robert but the path to them getting there is going to have a lot of twists and turns. I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Well," Lysa said sitting down on the bed the next morning, "that was fast."

"I agree," Lily said as she sat before the mirror running a brush slowly through her long red curls. "But in a way I suppose I should have been expecting it. Father's got you and Cat locked up to engagements, its only natural I would draw that attention too. By the way, I meant to ask, how was your meeting with the Lannisters? Every time I remember to ask you something else happens and I forget."

Lysa fiddled with the elaborate stitching on the bedspread a moment before answering. "It was alright I suppose. Jaime Lannister is very handsome. It's just…"

Lily frowned at her reflection and turned around from the vanity, brush still in hand. "It's just what?"

"I don't know," Lysa said. "He's not Petyr for one. I didn't grow up with him or know him like the back of my hand. I talk to Petyr about a lot of things but I don't think Jaime and I talked about anything really. We just followed along behind Father and Lord Lannister like sheep."

"Well did you try?" Lily asked. "Communication when you're married is a big thing."

"When did you become the expert on marriage?" Lysa asked. "I'd just assume you'd run from the altar screaming."

Lily pressed a hand to her chest in mock indignation. "My dear sister, how little you know me. We grew up watching mother and father's marriage didn't we? What did they do every day?"

"Talk," Lysa muttered.

"Right and its why they loved each other so much. Mother wasn't afraid to argue with Father if she thought he was wrong about something. Yes she usually deferred to him in some things but if it was important to her she would make sure that he knew it."

"I remember that," Lysa said. "I'm surprised that you do though. You were only one and ten when she died."

"It wasn't quite four years ago but it was almost," Lily said in a quiet voice. "There are a lot of things I remember about Mother. I remember how it drove her crazy when I neglected my sewing for a larger blade or how I loved riding and shooting a bow better than learning how to dance or flirt."

"Do you remember the time you came in for your dancing lesson in breeches and muddy boots?" Lysa asked giggling. "I thought she was going to pass out, her face went so white! Do you recall what she said to you?"

"Of course I do!" Lily said getting to her feet and adopting a pose much like the one Minisa had constantly donned when she was about to give her lecture. "Lilian Tully! Are you trying to resemble a wild animal? You certainly smell like one!"

Lysa collapsed back on the bed in a fit of giggles. "She marched you straight upstairs and all but threw you in the bath!"

The both of them collapsed on the bed in a fit of laughter until Lily felt the prick of tears in the corner of her eyes and cleared her throat.

Silence reigned between both of them for a moment but it was soon punctuated by a few whispered words from Lysa.

"I miss her," the other red head whispered and the declaration rang in the stillness of the chamber.

"I know," Lily whispered back as her sister's hand found hers. "I do too."

No one said anything for a moment as they both reminisced on their own private memories of Minisa Tully.

"Do you remember the last thing she said to you?" Lysa asked.

"Of course I do."

"What was it?"

Lily sighed and remembered the long, painful, but utterly wonderful conversation she had had with her second mother almost four years ago.

"She told me to be strong, be brave, have courage and to work hard at whatever I chose to do."

"Hmmm," Lysa mused. "She told me to believe in myself. And I know she told Cat to be kind. Wonderful words."

"I know," Lily said. "Somehow I think she told us everything we needed to hear at exactly when we needed to hear it. I wonder what she said to Ed."

"I don't know and I've never asked him," Lysa said thoughtfully. "He never talks about her. Every time I bring her up he changes the subject."

"He's not over it yet," Lily said as she sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair again. "But I don't really think any of us will get over it. And I don't think we should."

"I wonder what she would say about us now?" Lysa mused. "Do you think she would be proud of us?"

"Of course," Lily said. "I think we've done some things that would make her laugh, some things that would make her angry and others that would make her smile."

"I wish she would be at our weddings," Lysa said softly. "I wonder if she would approve of Brandon, Jaime and Elbert."

Lily grimaced thinking about Brandon. She certainly hoped her conversation with him from the night before had knocked some sense into him and he wouldn't be unfaithful to her sister. Because if he was, she had no qualms about apparating to Winterfell and ensuring he never had the ability to do so again.

Jaime she hadn't really met yet so she would hold all expectations about him until they had had a conversation and she already knew her own feelings about Elbert. He was an honest, just, compassionate and understanding person who she thanked her lucky stars that she had found. He wouldn't try to hinder her interests or treat her as a lesser person because she was female. She had a feeling she would be able to continue her sword play and her riding and all other activities that were frowned upon because of her status and sex once she married him.

She had found someone that made her family happy and whom she just might be happy with as well.

Funny how things worked out that way.

"Did father say when your marriage to Lord Elbert would be?" Lysa asked and Lily frowned. "No he didn't and I've already spoken to Elbert about it, he has agreed to give me as much time as I need. I'm not even five and ten yet. Perhaps in another three or four years or so."

"Would father accept that?" Lysa asked.

"He won't have a choice," Lily shrugged. "Elbert has agreed and he is the future heir to the Vale. Father won't want to risk offending with him so he will have to go along. If he doesn't like it…too bad."

Lysa chuckled and got to her feet. "I envy you sometimes Lily."

"What do you mean?" the younger red head asked.

"You're utterly fearless," Lysa said as she headed for the door. "Nothing scares you and you don't let anything hold you back. I wish I could be like that."

Before Lily could respond, she slipped quietly out the door and closed it behind her with a soft click.

"I'm not as brave as you might think Lysa," Lily muttered to herself as she stared at the closed door. "And if you knew everything there was to know about me than you would know that some secrets are better left unsaid."

Ω

About a week later, Lily stood in the courtyard of the Red Keep waving goodbye to her family as they sat upon their horses and the wheelhouses rumbled through the gates and down into the streets of King's Landing.

Only when the company turned a corner and disappeared did Lily breathe a sigh of relief.

Lysa had looked very fragile when she had hugged her sister goodbye and Lily had felt a surge of concern.  
Cat seemed to be more jittery than usual and before the two girls had released each other, Cat had made her promise that she would be back in Riverrun for her wedding in a year or so to which Lily had agreed.

Ed had merely said he wished he was staying with her as Hoster had recently begun teaching him the ways of running the Riverlands and he was finding it overwhelming.

Axel meanwhile had just cried and tried to hold onto her, prompting a tightening in the fourteen year old's throat.

Unfortunately, Elia who was standing next to her happened to hear her sigh and turned to her with a half smile on her face. "Are you alright Lily?"

"I am," the red head replied. "Thank you for being here with me today. My uncle had some business to attend to in the city and said his goodbyes to everyone this morning. I didn't really want to be alone for it."

Elia gave her a gentle smile and patted her hand. "Where is your betrothed by the way? I would have thought he would be here with you."

"He too is on an errand for his uncle," Lily said. "Lord Elbert has decided to remain in the capital for the next few weeks or so before returning to the Vale."

"I must say, I find his early devotion to you endearing," Elia said with a small smile. "I had never met Elbert Arryn before the wedding but I had never heard any stories to make me concerned. Well done Lily."

The red head turned to her friend with one eyebrow raised. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything. My father was the one who agreed to this marriage."

"Yes," Elia amended. "But you were the one to make enough of an impression on Elbert to prompt him to propose this match. Didn't I tell you earlier that hard work is the only way anything is accomplished in a marriage?"

Lily stifled the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes you did."

"Good," the princess said looking very pleased with herself. "If I impart nothing else to you in all the time you will be here, remember that."

"I will," the red head said.

Elia said nothing else for a moment but instead took the younger girl's arm and led her back towards the gardens.

"I meant to speak with you in more detail about that charge the king tasked you with. How do you feel about such a thing?"

Lily sighed and spread her hands. "It's not as if I have much of a choice do I? I'm surprised that he gave it to me but I will say that the king is consistent in his unpredictability. And who knows, with my magic maybe I will be able to track down this unknown enemy who seems so keen to see you dead."

Elia flinched slightly but made no comment and Lily wanted to grimace at her careless words and she hurried to cover them up with her next piece of logic.  
"I had thought to go back to the Great Sept in the next few days to have a look around that whole interior and see if there were any clues. It's also unfortunate that not a single one of those men were recovered alive from that massacre."

That was another irritating thing that was getting under Lily's skin about being made the Crown's official sleuth. She didn't have much to work with.  
The Kingsguard had searched the bodies for anyone still living that they might take back to the Keep to interrogate but there was nothing to be found. All the black clad men were dead and the ones who might have been merely wounded had escaped in the chaos.

It was maddening that the moment they got close to catching some form of clue about who or what had sent this enemy, it slipped away from them like a fish slipped through a bear's teeth.

"Perhaps I should send Oberyn with you," Elia mused. "He can be quite stealthy when he wants to be."

Lily raised and eyebrow at her friend. "It seems there's no middle ground with your brother. He is either very hot or very cold about everything he does. Why is there no balance with him?"

Elia rolled her eyes then causing Lily to chuckle. "Your guess is as good as mine. Isn't there a saying that the youngest ones are always the most hotheaded and reckless?"

Lily grimaced. "I certainly hope that's not true of Axel as he grows. Gods only know the sorts of trouble he might get himself into."

"He is sweet your little brother," Elia said with a small smile.

"He can be," Lily said. "I just hope that he is mothered appropriately by Cat and Lysa. He'll never know our mother but with three older sisters I hope we all can take care of him well enough."

"I don't doubt that," Elia said patting her arm as they wandered down a path lined on either side with tall trees. "Fortunately he has some more time with your sisters before Catelyn gets married."

"True," Lily said and then cocked her head to one side. "Sometimes I wished I could have kept him here in the capital with me."

"Maybe when he gets older you can do that," Elia suggested.

"Hmm," Lily replied and then she frowned. "By the way, where's Ashara? I haven't seen her all day."  
Elia's face got a sneaky smile. "She's spending the afternoon with someone."

Lily's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Really? And who might this male someone be that she has made an impression on?"

Elia grinned further. "It would seem that the two of you have made quite the impressions on young men from the Vale.

It didn't take Lily long after that.  
"Lord Eddard?" she asked in shock. Then she wanted to smack her head. "Of course it would be Eddard! It makes perfect sense, they spent all their time together last night!"

She grinned at her friend. "Well it seems we've all done well for ourselves then. I do believe we've found the most honorable men in this keep."

Elia smiled but in the shadow of the passing trees it almost looked like a grimace, prompting Lily to look at her in concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Elia said. "It's just this new life I have is going to take some adjusting to that's all. Being a queen is not going to be an easy task."

"I don't think anyone ever expected it to be," Lily said. "I certainly don't envy your position. But instead of thinking of it as a right or a burden, try thinking of it as a privilege instead."

Elia frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

They were getting away from the trees now and nearing the rocky coast of the keep where one could look out over Black Water Bay and see the sea beyond it. The sun was shining brightly off the water and Lily had to blink a few times in order to get her eyes to adjust.

"With all the power that you're going to have in the next few years," she began. "What sort of good can you do with it? How can you make people's lives better, improve the realm and keep it safe for everyone living in it. Don't think about what you've had to give up in order to come here. Being queen is a privilege, its not just about power, its how you use it. A wise person knows that in order to truly be powerful, you need to use that power instead of consolidating it behind four walls."

Elia was quiet for a moment as they stood on the rocky shoreline looking out over the water. "I think you'd make a far better queen than I would Lily."

The red head threw back her head and laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm far too impulsive and reckless. The crown needs a queen that's calm and measured and that's not me."

"Give yourself some credit," Elia said softly. "You're four and ten, that sort of maturity will come, but what you just said is something that very few people would think of. I doubt any of the Targaryens have had a mindset like that and ones who have did not have the power to back it up. Possibly Baelor the Blessed but little is known about him. That is the sort of mindset that every ruler should have. Thank you for reminding me of it."

Lily nodded. "You're welcome."

A silence reigned between the two women and Lily seated herself on one of the rocks as she looked out to sea. She knew Ser Jonothar was somewhere in the back ground watching them but he must have done a good job as she very alone then.

It was actually rather nice.

"I shouldn't be out here for too long," Elia said absently. "I'm supposed to see the queen again today. I think she wishes to take me under her wing as she has no daughters."

"Good," Lily said. "Its good to have as many friends as possible. Prince Viserys could certainly use more playmates."

"He is a precocious child," Elia said with a smile. "You mentioned it earlier but now that I am thinking of him, I _do_ wish Axel might have stayed. He and Viserys might have been good friends."

"Perhaps when they're a little older I'll write to my father and ask for Axel to spend some time here," Lily mused. "I think you're right, Viserys could use some new playmates. If he spends too much time around the wrong people, he might grow…strange."

"And gods forbid we could use less peculiarity around here," Elia muttered under her breath and Lily snorted in agreement.

All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps behind them caused both women to look up and turn around.

Hurrying down the path towards them was a servant carrying a note in his hand. The other was clutched into a fist.

"Your grace," he said skidding to a halt in front of Elia and bowing. "A message from the queen. She wishes to see you."

Elia frowned as she took the note. "Well that was quick. I wasn't expecting to see her for another hour at least. I wonder what she wishes to talk about."

Lily mentally scanned through a list of options. "Well, seeing as how its exactly one weedk after your wedding night and the last day of the tourney later today with a good deal of excitement she probably wishes to catch up with you now and ensure that certain…conditions…have been met."  
Elia blinked at her and then turned slightly pink. "For someone who is unmarried, you certainly seem astute about the matter of the marriage bed."

Lily shrugged and gave her a smile. "I have two older sisters and right now all three of us are engaged. What do you think we should be talking about?"

Elia threw back her head and laughed. "Point taken I suppose. Ah well, I should get on to see her then. I'll see you at dinner tonight?"

"You'll see everyone at dinner tonight," Lily said with a cheeky smile. "There's going to be a feast remember?"

Elia rolled her eyes at her friend. "One of these days Lily you're going to need to watch your tongue. It's sharper than a sword blade."

"Never!" the red head called after her as she left.

Elia's only response was to laugh and hurry off down the garden path with Ser Jonothar behind her.

 _I suppose now would be as good a time as any to sneak out of the keep and make my way to the Sept,_ she mused to herself. _Although I suppose I should see if Elbert is back from his errand yet and see if he wants to come as well. An adventure could be just what the two of us need to get to know each other better._

Ω

"What exactly are we looking for?" Elbert asked, his voice echoing off the high walls of the sept.

Lily glared at him in an attempt to get him to be quiet and he must have realized his blunder for he immediately looked contrite.

"Clues," she whispered. "These men must have left something behind and if we find it, we will get closer to finding them."  
"If the Kingsguard couldn't find anything when they searched the carnage earlier, what makes you think that you can?" Elbert asked.  
When Lily glared at him again he put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I'm merely inquiring."  
Lily shook her head and turned back around to peruse the floor of the balcony once more. "Because the men of the Kingsguard only searched the floor of the Great Sept where all the fighting took place….but I'm not sure if they looked here. And it is from here that the men originated. The arrow that nearly cost Prince Rhaegar his life was shot from here and the men descended on their ropes from this balcony. Before that however, gods only knew how long they were here for. It might have been hours."  
Elbert frowned thoughtfully. "Then perhaps one of the septons or septas has seen something. I should enquire."  
"It's a good idea," Lily said thoughtfully, "especially since they got nothing out of the High Septon earlier. Pompous man, I don't know why someone like that is in charge. All spectacle and no sense."

Elbert's amused chuckling behind her caused her to turn around with a bemused smile on her face. "What is it?"  
"Nothing," the blonde said but when she continued watching him, he threw up his hands and laughed again. "It's just when I went to my uncle with the idea to propose this marriage, he looked at me for a long moment and then began to chuckle. When I demanded to know why he was so amused he merely said that I could expect to have my hands full with the likes of you. You were not the sort of woman that would do anything quietly."  
Lily raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if I should be amused or offended."  
"The former I think," Elbert said with a smile. "My uncle is not one to lavish praise on anyone, even me. And then he said that in some ways you remind him of his former wife. Apparently she was as passionate, stubborn and feisty as you are."  
"I think I should have liked to meet her then," Lily as she turned back around and continued her search. "We might have gotten on well."

"There is not a doubt in my mind that you would have," Elbert said with a chuckle. "But perhaps its good you didn't. I don't think the realm can handle more than one woman like that at a time."

Lily snorted and then got back down on her hands and knees to peer under the wooden benches for any left behind fragments of interest.  
"I believe I will go find some of the septons who were here on the day of the wedding," Elbert said aloud. "And then perhaps we should get back to the keep. The last day of the tourney is today and I would like to see who the victor will be."

"It surely will not go to anyone but the prince," Lily said in a bored tone. "And then he will award his new bride as his queen of love and beauty and the purse of gold will be rewarded and everyone will wander off to prepare for the feast all the while muttering about what a wonderful tourney and wedding it was. All the women will simper, hoping that one day they will find a man as wonderful as the prince and all the men will continue speaking about the joust, debating the weapons and the weight and the breed of horses used and the lances and the armor until they are blue in the face about it. Then they will spend a night of drunken revelry pawing at the next chamber maid or lady who happens to come too close and fall asleep in a stupor on the floor."

Elbert blinked at the long winded and sarcastic speech before he chuckled again. "Surely you don't have such a low opinion of us men."  
Lily gave him a small smile. "Not all of them and present company is certainly excluded."  
"Well that's good," Elbert said with a laugh. "Pardon me my lady, I am going to find those septons."  
He strode off down the balcony and to the narrow metal staircase that had led them up to it before hurrying down it two stairs at a time.

Lily continued crawling along on her hands and knees and peering beneath the benches. When her knees started to hurt, she straightened up and muttered a cushioning charm for them before continuing her search.

There had to have been something there, some clue that had been left behind. After a moment, she got to her feet and placed a hand against the side of her face as she thought carefully.

She had thought that there were statues on the balcony which had in fact turned out to be the men standing very still. So the had either entered the sept, disguised as peasants perhaps to say their prayers…or there had been some other point of entry.

And since this place was where she had seen them first…it was entirely possible that it was from this place that they had entered.

But where?  
She sighed and got down on her hands and knees again to look under the dark benches. Another few tense moments passed as she continued her crawl but when she finally reached the last bench before the railing…a sudden sparkly caught her eye.

Lily frowned and crawled closer to the bench to get a better look at the small object that was gleaming so brightly.

It almost looked like a stone but when she hesitantly reached out her hand and felt for it in the dusky lighting, the touch of it against her hand was unlike any stone she had ever felt.

Very slowly, Lily pulled the object out from under the wooden bench and stared at in the palm of her hand.

It almost looked like an arrowhead, a very well small one but one that was utterly white like a shard of bone. There were strange runes and markings in its face…ones that were too small for Lily to make out but they were unlike any runes she had ever seen. There was a tiny whole embedded in the juncture between the two points on the right and left side, almost as if there had been a string through there once so it might hang as a necklace.

 _How odd,_ Lily thought as she brought the object close to her face and looked it over more carefully. _Where on earth did this come from?_

She quickly pocketed the object and further attention later and resumed searching, though for what she didn't know.  
Finding nothing more beneath the benches, she was about to straighten up when something caught her eye.

A small square of the stone wall, about the size of her hand perhaps looked…different than the others.

Lily frowned slightly and sat up before moving the bench that the square was directly beneath. It was hard word, the bloody thing was heavy but she didn't dare use magic as she didn't know if anyone was watching. Besides, Elbert might be back any second now and the last thing that needed to happen was for him to see a display of sorcery before she was ready.

Finally she succeeded in wrenching the bench free and pushed it to one side as she examined the small square. Placing a hand on it, she gently pushed inward and was astonished when the piece of wall gave way as if it were a lever.

All of a sudden the sound of voices floated up the staircase and she straightened, recognizing the voice of Elbert, but not the other.

"Truly my lord, I have no idea," the man was saying. "I was given charge of lighting the candles before the ceremony was to begin around the Sept but I saw no unnatural activity anywhere and at the time, I had no reason to think that there would be."

"Indeed," Elbert said. "Was there ever a time you came up to the balcony at all?"  
"No my lord," the septon said. "I only – "  
He paused when he saw the moved bench and Lily standing there. "Good lord."  
Elbert frowned at the scene. "Lily what have you done?"  
The red head pointed to the small square of wall. "I believe I've found something. Did you know this was here Septon?"  
Both men hurried forward to examine her findings and the septon frowned upon seeing the indentation in the wall.  
"What on earth?" he murmured. "No my lady, I haven't seen this at all. How did you find it?"  
"Before I tell you," the red head said. "I think its more important that we see what this does."  
And then, in full light of Elbert and the septon, she reached forward and pushed the square inward with all of her might.

For a few seconds there was nothing but all of a sudden a soft click could be heard and the three of them jumped back when the square sunk into the wall of its own accord. There was a sound as if gears were grinding and then the squares all around the other began to sink inwards as well as if someone had dropped a stone into a pool of water. A ripple effect had been created and Elbert, the septon and Lily watched in astonishment as all the squares of stone sunk into each other until a doorway was formed. Beyond that doorway…there was nothing but blackness.

Elbert broke the silence by swearing violently. "So this is how the bastards gained entry into the place."

"I need to inform the High Septon at once," the septon stammered and he ran off, robes billowing behind him, nearly falling down the stairs in his haste.

Lily and Elbert exchanged glances.

"Excitable man isn't he?" Elbert asked rubbing the side of his face wryly. Lily shrugged. "I can't blame him, this isn't exactly the most settling news."

She took a step towards the doorway and immediately felt a hand descend on her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

Lily looked back at her betrothed with one eyebrow raised. "I'm going to investigate this passage and see where it leads. This is a huge lead and the last thing I want to do is go back to the King empty handed. You know what that would look like. There are already enough people questioning his decision about having a woman spearhead this for me to not want to add any more fuel to the fire by failing."

"Seeing as how your alertness saved both Princess Elia and Prince Rhaegar," Elbert said running a hand through his hair, "I think you've earned more credibility than most in the last few weeks. But that doesn't mean you need to be foolhardy. Who knows what's down there?"

"If you're so concerned my lord," Lily said with a wry smile. "Then come with me. Two are always better than one."

He stared at her for a moment before blinking a few times. "You're serious aren't you?"

She gave him a cheerful smile. "Perfectly."

Elbert sighed and ran a hand through his already mused blonde hair. "I'm not going to be able to convince you not to go down there am I?"

"Not at all."

"And there's no way we can wait and send for reinforcements first?"

Lily sighed. "Elbert, I've had enough waiting. Two attacks have happened in the last month that we've only been able to react to and we have been flailing in the dark otherwise. This was no radical group trying to make some attempt at a political point. This was a premeditated plan with the intent to take out the monarchy. Can we afford to wait any longer?"

Elbert sighed again. "I certainly hope you know what you're doing."

"If I knew what I was doing," Lily said as she headed for the doorway, seizing one of the torches on the wall on her way. "I certainly wouldn't be having very much fun now would I?"

Elbert's only response was to groan as he followed her through the doorway and into utter blackness.

Strangely enough, the passage way seemed to take them down a steep incline further and further.

Elbert had insisted on going first so he might guard against anyone unfriendly who came at them, but that meant that he had to hold the torch.

The passageway was so narrow that they could not walk side by side and instead had to follow along behind each other closely.  
Their only light was coming from the torch so they had to remain close together and while Lily could have used magic, she had a feeling Elbert wasn't ready for that display just yet.

Another time perhaps.

A they continued downward, the passage started to even out allowing Lily to walk alongside the blonde. A few twists and turns were made in the passage but thankfully there were no different corridors to take which kept them from becoming lost.

"If we don't come to any sort of indicating markers soon about where we are," Elbert said. "Than I think we should go back. Being curious is one thing, but being foolhardy is another, we don't know what's down here."

"Very well," Lily said.

All of a sudden she blinked then, noticing something strange.

"This passage is old," she whispered "Very old."  
"I believe that was self-evident when we first discovered it my lady," he said a smirk teasing his lips upwards in the dim light.  
She rolled her eyes at him. "That's not what I mean. Look at the stones. The walls in the black cells were built brick on mortar on brick. These ones are built stone upon stone…..as if they were built at a time when using mortar wasn't possible. This passage has probably been around since Aegon the Conqueror caused the Red Keep to be built. Weren't there stories of tunnels running under the city?"  
His eyes narrowed at the wall and she could tell that he knew she was right.  
"We should proceed with caution then," he said calmly. "There are parts of this place that might be unstable and crumbling."  
She nodded and continued to walk slowly after him as they walked further along into the passage.  
The only sound was that of their footsteps on the stone and the quiet was so eerie that Lily began to feel glad that Elbert had come with her.  
"I wonder what's at the end of this passage," she murmured aloud which drew a snort from the knight.  
"Probably something that someone had good reason to hide," he replied. "Else why would this place have been sealed up the way it was?"  
"Secrets," she murmured back. "Everyone in this damnable place has secrets. It's exhausting trying to keep track of it all."  
"Welcome to the King's Landing my lady," he said sounding amused.

It seemed the path was one of those passageway that was beginning to lead to nowhere as they had been walking for nearly twenty minutes before a breath of fresh air hit Lily and she drew to a stop. "What was that?"  
Elbert had stopped too and he held up a hand to her, indicating that he needed silence.  
The breath of wind came again and she could taste a hint of salt on it. "Are we near the ocean?"  
His eyes narrowed and he drew his sword as silently as was possible. "Come along but quietly."  
She made no move to contradict him and hurried after the knight, having to walk quicker to keep up with his long strides.  
The breaths of wind became stronger and she wondered for a moment whether or not they were coming to the edge of the sea.  
It seemed like several minutes went by and Lily felt she was about to explode from curiosity about what was ahead of them when Elbert suddenly drew to a stop. He held out the arm that wasn't gripping his sword so Lily wouldn't walk any further and just stared. "It seems we now know how the assassins was able to escape."

Lily looked around him and muttered a curse under her breath when she saw what he was looking at. Ahead of them was a circular looking chamber and on all of its size she counted four different passageways leading in different directions away from the chamber.  
In the center of the chamber there was a tall statue of an unfamiliar man. He was wearing a long cloak complete with armor and a sword at his waste and standing with one foot atop a stone skull.

 _How lovely,_ Lily thought with a grimace.  
"I think that that is Maegor the Cruel," Elbert said quietly. "Although what he's doing down here I have no idea. If there's any place he should be in it's the Dragon's Pit."

"I wonder where those other passages lead," she murmured aloud.

"Well I think it's a good idea to have other people down here with us when we investigate," Elbert said. "But for now my lady, let's be smart about this and go back up. There's no need to be careless when we don't know what we're getting into."

It grated on Lily a bit but she knew he was right. This could have been very foolish, very foolish indeed.

"Very well," she said. "At least now we have some news for Princess Elia and the King and maybe this will tell us how the assassins have been getting around without being seen. These passages might be connected to any of the major buildings in King's Landing."

"Quite possibly," Elbert said. "But that will be something for someone else to determine on some other day. Come on, let's go."

He insisted that she go first back up the passage as it was already familiar to both of them and soon enough, they were emerging from the passage and back onto the balcony of the sept.

They must not have been gone for very long because no more than a few seconds passed before there were the sound of pounding footsteps on the stairs and the septon who had been with them earlier along with the High Septon himself, a balding man with severe grey eyes and a whole crowd of other septas and septons came charging up them.

Upon seeing the young couple standing there next to the doorway, all of them save the one who had been with them earlier came to a screeching halt.

"You see?" the septon asked. "It's as Lord Elbert and Lady Lilian discovered, there is a hidden door in the sept."

"Yes and if you will excuse us now," Elbert said somewhat dryly. "Lady Lilian and I will need to make a formal report of our discoveries to the king. He will be most interested to know about the fact that there weaknesses in buildings around the city. Good day."

He then swept down the stairs taking Lily with him. She glanced up at him with one eyebrow raised as they descended until he caught sight of her look. "What?"

"Was it really necessary to frighten them?" Lily said. "Using the king as a threat is something I would only do if I truly hated someone."

"I was jesting my lady," Elbert said with a smile. And after all, weren't you the one who said that the septons were all spectacle and no sense. Perhaps they will finally do something sensible with this information."

All Lily could do was smirk up at him. "Very well my lord, you win this time."

Elbert smiled down at her. "Excellent, I do believe I like this little game we're playing. Makes it easier to get to know you."

"Don't expect to win all the time my lord," Lily said with a secret smile. "I don't often make the same mistakes twice."

Ω

Uncle Brynden narrowed his eyes at the warhead. "I don't think I've ever seen these markings before."  
The two of them were walking in the gardens in the cool of the evening after most of the court had gone to sleep.  
After returning from her expedition at the Great Sept, Lily and Elbert had made sure to inform Ser Gerold of the passage they had found in the building to which an official investigation had been launched.  
Following this, the two of them had gone to the tourney and tried not to think about what they had discovered. Every so often though Lily would feel eyes on her and look across the tourney grounds at the opposite stands and see that she was in fact the object of Elbert's gaze. He would give her a small smile when he saw her looking to which she would respond before turning back to the events before her.

Of course the events of the tourney had played out in the way she had predicted them to. Prince Rhaegar did emerge victorious atop his horse, received the crown of flowers and crowned his new bride as his queen of Love and Beauty.  
As he should have.  
Elia looked happy when he placed the crown upon her head but Lily could have sworn her smile looked almost strained. And then the moment had passed and the shadow had faded making Lily think she had been seeing things.

She had shaken her head and turned back to the festivities, soon forgetting all about it.

Afterward, she had remembered the arrow head in her pocket and gone in search of her uncle to seek his wisdom.

Lily shook her head. "Nor have I. They're not Westerosi from what I've seen, do you think they're part of an eastern weapon?"

Brynden shrugged. "If they are, they're from no weapon I've ever seen. I've never seen arrowheads like this before. It looks far older than any modern arrowhead."

"It looks almost…ceremonial," Lily suggested. "If no arrowheads you have seen have these sort of markings can we assume that it was used for purposes beyond the battlefield."

Brynden frowned. "Like what?"

"Well," Lily said. "Aren't there customs in the far east where the dead are burnt and in order to light the pyre one must shook a flaming air into the wood?"

The Blackfish rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I do recall reading something when I was a boy about such a custom. But I believe it was in Asshai that they did such things."

"Well then that makes perfect sense," Lily said rolling her eyes. "Isn't that city teaming with red priests and priestesses who worship a fire god?"

"There are," Brynden said sounding amused. "But unfortunately my dear, even with your magic there is no way of knowing whether or not the make of this weapon is from Asshai unless you were to travel there."

All of a sudden he blinked and then surprised Lily by muttering a curse under his breath. "Of course! How could I have forgotten?"

"Uncle?" Lily asked in bewilderment.

He turned to her and handed back the warhead with a grim look on his face. "You don't need to go to Asshai in order to find answers Lilian. We have a person from that city in this very court who can confirm or deny the origins of this warhead?"

Lily frowned. "Who on earth is that?"

"Lord Varys," her uncle replied as they continued walking. "He came to this country long ago but Aerys brought him here to act as his official spymaster. If there is anyone you should talk to about the existence of this warhead, it would be him."

"Of course," Lily breathed. "How did I forget that? But isn't the Master of Whispers a very…vague man?"

Brynden chuckled. "He is. However one of his attributes seems to be that he holds no personal motives for being here and simply exists to serve the realm. If he can serve the realm by uncovering the motives of these…assassins, well then I doubt he would refuse you information. Information is his business after all."

Lily mused on that for a moment before she finally nodded. "Very well I will make time to go and see him tomorrow."

Brynden looked as if he were going to say something else but was suddenly interrupted when a bloodcurdling scream rang out from the keep causing both of them to jerk like marionettes on strings from surprise.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Lily demanded and Brynden's face turned grim and he looked down at her, his bearded face hard. "I don't know but we need to go back to the keep now Lilian, we don't know what's happened."

He took her arm and the two hurried towards the keep, with Lily trying to remain calm, wondering what fresh hell had invaded the keep this time.

Ω

 **I decided to give Lily and Elbert some time to get to know one another better and him having her along for an adventure seemed like a good idea. He's not going to be around for her entire time in the capital, however I did want to flesh him out a bit because not a lot is known about Elbert. In the next chapter, the assassination plot continues and Elia makes a surprising announcement. Don't forget to review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**BIG EXCITING NEWS! So if you haven't seen the authors note I placed under the updated version of Serpent Queen, I'll just post it briefly here. I have started my own Youtube Channel, where I discuss my favorite nerd related things, namely fantasy, sci fi and comic books. If you already know about the channel and have subscribed, please enjoy the chapter. But if you have not, it would mean the absolute world to me if you guys would go there now, the channel name is Kaetie Mac, watch the videos, hit subscribe and then come back and read the chapter and tell me what you think. The reason for this channel and my sometimes long wait times between updates is that I am working on my own stuff and I need to get my name out there. Hence the Youtube channel so I can build my platform and reach hopefully a wider audience. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, please go check out my channel and hit subscribe and I'll see you next time!**

Chapter 17

The pair had barely put one foot over the threshold of the doorway into the Red Keep from the gardens when there was the sound of hurried footsteps racing towards them. Both Lily and Brynden jerked to the right in time to see a servant racing by.

"You there!" the Blackfish barked. "What is the commotion?"  
The servant skidded to a halt when he saw them and hurriedly bowed. "Your pardon Ser Brynden, Lady Lilian but there has been an attack."

"On whom?" Lily demanded suddenly on high alert. "Who has been attacked?"

The servant hesitated but the answer suddenly came when a contingent of Martell guards raced down the corridor from behind the servant. They were heading towards the east wing and all of their swords were drawn.

The east wing was where the chambers of the new princess were located.

Lily muttered several choice curses under her breath and took off in that direction, needing no further information as to the source of the commotion. There was a moment's hesitation but she could hear her uncle hot on her heels.

 _Please don't let it be an assassin sneaking into the palace! The last thing this court needs is more drama!_

Unfortunately it seemed that her wishes held no bearing on reality for when she and Brynden skidded into the corridor where Elia's chambers were located it was already crowded with terrified servants and guards.

Standing near the door to the inner rooms was a familiar figure.

"Oberyn!" Lily called as she pushed her way through the crowd of confused and alarmed people. "What in the Seven Hells is going on?"

The prince's eyes narrowed when he saw her and he strode forward. "It seems the hooded bastards are getting more creative."

"Is Elia alright?" the red head demanded.

"As well as can be expected," the prince said through gritted teeth. "After all, it will take some time to adjust to an armed assailant coming in through an open window, a blade tucked between his teeth."

Lily sucked in a breath and came to a screeching halt. "Not again."

"Yes again," the prince snarled. "And it would seem that the third occurrence nearly did the trick. Thankfully Elia has always been a light sleeper and so before the bastard got too close she screamed. That was enough to alert the guards. They burst in but only caught a glimpse of the man before he hurled himself over the balcony and disappeared."

Lily swallowed hard and muttered several choice curses she had learned from her uncle under her breath. "Is the keep being searched?"

"Aye," Prince Lewyn said striding up to them. "The keep has been searched…but not a soul has been found out of place."

Lily released a sigh. "May I see her?"

"Of course," Lewyn replied with a sigh. "She's been asking for you."

The red head wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign so she decided not to ask anymore questions and just headed for the door.

The Martell guards standing on either side regarded her reproachfully as they passed and Lily got the distinct feeling that they were feeling some regret for not being able to handle the threat directly.

After all this was the third time something like this had happened since the princess had come to the capital, one had to be wondering if such an endeavor was cursed.

And Lily knew a little too much about curses.

As soon as the door opened, Lily stepped inside and shut it behind her. The less people knew what went on in here the better. There was already entirely too much gossip circulating as it was.

"Lily?"

The red head took a deep breath and turned around and was confronted with the image of Elia sitting on the edge of her bed on the left side of the room. She had a wool shawl wrapped about her shoulders that was being held in place by Ashara Dayne who's purple eyes were fairly blazing with rage.

Across the room but directly in front of her was the open archway that led onto the balcony and the gardens below it. The wispy white curtains were slowly spraying in the warm breeze like ghosts tired of existing on the mortal plain in which they lingered.

Lily shuddered at the analogy and turned back to her friend. "Gods…are you alright?"  
She knew right away that it was a stupid question to ask but it was also an automatic one.

Elia tried to give her a smile but with her pale cheeks to frame it, the expression looked rather ghastly.

"As much as I can be I suppose," she said in a halting voice.

Lily muttered a curse under her breath and strode over to her friend, seating herself on the opposite side of her.

"The bastard didn't make so much as a sound," Ashara muttered through clenched teeth. "He climbed up the ivy trellis outside the window and got into the room that way."

"And there's been no sign of him since?"

"None."

Lily sighed and ran a hand through her curls. These cloak and dagger tactics were beginning to wear on her. She was no closer to catching these assailants than she was a few days ago.

And the object and passage she had found in the Great Sept was meaningless if she couldn't find out who was using it and their source of origin.

"We'll find him and wring the truth out of him," Ashara muttered fiercely to the princess who still hadn't said a word other than Lily's name when she had first entered.

"No we won't," Elia said in a dull voice. "These men might as well be wraiths for how little we know about them and how fast they move. We don't even know what they truly look like."

Lily grimaced and gripped her friends' shoulder. "Not yet. But its only a matter of time."

Elia snorted bitterly. "Of course, and while we sit here helpless because of our lack of knowledge at any time these men could sneak into the castle and cut my throat."

She seemed to catch herself after that and grimaced at the words that had been spoken. "I'm sorry Lily. I know you and everyone else are doing their best."

The red head sighed. "I can't imagine how frustrating this is. I don't want to ask you to be patient because I know I wouldn't be. But, I'm hoping that if you aren't able to trust me, then trust your family and your house. They are the ones who have sworn to protect you and if you let them…they will."

Elia blinked at the younger girl and a moment of silence reigned throughout the chamber.

"That was very measured," Ashara said quietly after a moment. "But Lily's right my princess. If we can't trust what's going on around us then we need to trust the people who have made promises to us. They _won't_ let us down."

The Dornish princess released a deep sigh that seemed to come right from her soul. "I know. And my trust hasn't wavered in Oberyn or our guards or the people in this room or even my husband. I intend to be queen one day, that hasn't changed."

Lily nodded and then she and Ashara decided by unspoken agreement to speak of other things. After a scare like Elia had just had, the last thing that was needed was prolonged after exposure.

The next hour was spent casually talking about their days and the tourney that had taken place.

It wasn't until they were shown out by one of the guards that Lily turned to Oberyn and Ashara at the door and told them what she and Elbert had found at the Great Sept earlier that day.

Oberyn, having not been informed of such matters was clearly annoyed that he had been left out of the picture but Ashara, having known him longer was able to calm him down with a few well placed words.

"So where do we go from here?" Ashara asked as the trio walked to the end of the hall. Oberyn was going to spend the night guarding his sister's door and no one was to enter the hallway.

It was going to be a tense night.

Lily saw her uncle waiting for her, slowly pacing the hall as he often did when he was thinking. She could tell that he was annoyed he hadn't been allowed through the wall of guards but had chosen to keep his opinion to himself. Now wasn't the time to be voicing complaints after all.  
She quickly bid a goodnight to Oberyn and Ashara and walked towards him

At the sound of her footsteps he looked up and a measure of relief quickly crossed his face before it disappeared. He turned towards her and crossed his arms across his chest as if bracing himself for bad news. "Well?"

Lily sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. "It was another attack."

Brynden Tully swore quietly under his breath but said nothing else as he waited for her to fill him in.

Lily cast her eyes backward down the hall and saw with some relief that most of the servants had dispersed and the members of the Kingsguard were now conferring with Elia's Dornish contingent. Oberyn was still with them but Ashara had no doubt gone back to her room.

"Let's walk and I'll explain," she said under her breath and the Blackfish nodded sharply before taking her arm and leading her down the hall.

"They got in by the window," she explained quietly as they walked. "Climbed up the ivy trellis from what Ashara said and got into the room. Thankfully Elia is a light sleeper and before he got too close to the bed, she came awake and yelled for help. The guards got into the room and did the rest then but the assailant was as fleeting as a vapour of wind for he ran to the balcony and threw himself off it, disappearing into the night."

Brynden was silent for a long while as they continued their trek down the dim corridor back to their rooms.

"And there's been no sign of him anywhere?"

"The castle is still being searched," Lily continued. "But I have a feeling they're not going to find anything…which is only going to make the king more angry."

Brynden sighed. "That's what I was afraid of. I suppose you will have to be the one to explain to the king about what has occurred here tonight?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at her uncle. "I didn't get here until after it happened. The king will no doubt want to talk to Elia and her brother about it."

"And then this investigation will continue and more thorough searches of those passages will be conducted," the Blackfish groused as they stopped outside of

Lily's chamber door. "The King wants answers and if he doesn't get them soon its going to turn him even more dangerous and erratic. I'm still at an utter loss as to why he named you an investigator into this matter."

"The King cannot be read by anyone these days," Lily said lowering her voice even more. "It's not the king's strange favor that's given me this task, its his erraticism. He thrives on his ability to keep people guessing and the knowledge that he can do whatever he pleases. It was not some favor to me that I was given this role. He probably did it to annoy his guards and remind them that he is not pleased with their inability to uncover the truth so far. If I drag my feet too, I'll be kicked to the curb also. He likes his surprises and he likes to keep himself entertained. I'm merely part of that entertainment."

Brynden muttered another curse under his breath and turned towards his own door. "That's what I'm afraid of. Watch yourself niece. We're in the thick of it now and the king's favor is not a blessing."

Lily watched him disappear into his own rooms before she grasped the doorknob to her own. "I never said it was."

Ω

To the surprise of everyone and the severe consternation of a few, Aerys seemed less than concerned with the midnight attack on his good daughter and the next few weeks passed relatively quietly.

Lily continued her investigation into the passages beneath the city but because the Kingsguard had now been informed of its existence, she had to go at odd hours and always under cover of her magic.

Sometimes Elbert accompanied her and sometimes he did not as he was running errands for his uncle and representing the Vale at court.

The more Lily got to know him, the more she began to like what she saw. He was far different from James but there was nothing wrong with that.

He was quiet but he knew when to speak when necessary and possessed the uncanny ability to not let anything ruffle his feathers.

He certainly didn't possess the dark ages mentality that many other young men and nobles his age did. To him, she wasn't a second class citizen like so many other wives of lords but rather he treated her like a partner.

He was continually surprising her and she was finding that she liked that.

"I'm thinking of erecting more settlements in the Fingers," he said to her one night as they were strolling through the gardens.

"You are?" Lily asked, one eyebrow raised. "And why is that?"

"The land is barren enough as it is," Elbert explained. "My uncle has taught me the value in looking at all assets and assessing their worth, even potential ones. I want the Vale to be as prosperous as possible when it becomes time for me to rule it. So that means settling the land and sending some people that I trust out there to learn how to farm it, produce crops and perhaps even discover if it has natural resources."

He was thinking both shrewdly and about the big picture at the same time, a notion that pleased Lily.

"You're smiling," Elbert said looking down at her.  
"I am," Lily said. "You're surprising me. You've been doing that a lot lately…I like it."

A corner of the blonde's mouth turned up as if he too were trying not to grin. "Well good. Then perhaps I should make it a habit."

Her conversations with Elbert had always carried on in a similar manner, following the pattern of easy and amusing. They had yet to talk about serious matters but that was only because nothing serious in the personal lives had happened.

There was of course the assassination attempts but there was only so much one could talk about those things before they became repetitive.

"So what do you have planned for the land?" she asked as they walked along.

"Well," the heir to the Vale said thoughtfully. "I had wondered about planning a trip there when my uncle recalls me to the Eyrie. I want to see it for myself and discern its potential. There may already be abandoned holdfasts there so minor lords could be installed immediately without having to go through the trouble of breaking ground and raising farmsteads. I won't know until I go. Then there is the process of seeing to the towns and villages on that rocky coast.

The chance of the people living there being of First Men rather than Andal blood is much greater and they might not take too kindly to an Andal lord coming from the interior to shoo them off their property."

"But you don't intend to do that do you?" Lily asked.

"Not at all," Elbert explained. "I simply want to know the land better and if that means I need to meet with a few rather nasty people….well then so be it."

"Has your uncle sent word about when he is going to recall you then?" the red head asked.

Elbert raised an eyebrow at her as they wandered by a tall column of trees on the left side of the path. "Trying to be rid of me already?"

Lily opened her mouth to refute the claim immediately but then saw by the unmistakable twinkle in his blue eyes that he was only jesting. She snorted and shook her head.

"So you do know how to joke," she said with a smile. "I was beginning to wonder if all the mirth had been stolen by Robert."  
Elbert chuckled. "I can jape with the best of them with the moment suits me. The trick is knowing when to use humor to make it more memorable."

The pair lapsed into silence as they continued their walk and in the gathering dark, Lily thought back to the ongoing investigation and what she was going to do to bring about a solution. It certainly didn't help that these masked assassins were as slippery to pin down as a freshly oiled eel. Where were they coming from? How were they entering the keep as easily as they were? Who had sent them? And above all else….what in the Seven Hells did they want?

Lily didn't notice as she walked but her expression had twisted into one of intense scrutiny and she was so lost in her own thoughts that it thoroughly shocked her when Elbert placed a hand over hers and squeezed it slightly.

She flinched and glanced up at him in surprise.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Elbert asked in a gentle voice.

Lily gave a frustrated sigh. "I'm getting nowhere with this investigation. Whoever these men are, they seem to come like a shadow and disappear just as fast. I'm running out of leads and the princess is counting on me."

"You're not the only one searching for them you know," Elbert pointed out. "The entire Kingsguard and all of Dorne have a vested interest in seeking these men out. Whoever the mastermind is behind these attacks…we'll find them."

Lily didn't reply but as Elbert turned the conversation to other topics, a traitorous thoughts wormed its way into her mind.

 _But what if we're too late?_

Ω

Another few weeks passed and the temperature took a sudden sharp dip into cooler weather prompting the wearing of cloaks and thicker dresses.

The sun disappeared more often prompting shorter tempers and longer scowls on the faces of the visiting noblemen. Ladies often hid from the cool air and stayed in their rooms longer spent more time with their sewing as opposed to socializing.

Lily found herself doing a lot of that with Ashara and Elia in fact. The strange events surrounding the last few weeks had died down and there had been no further attacks for which they were thankful, but the silence was beginning to drive Lily crazy.

She could tell Elia was also under a certain amount of strain given the unknown circumstances but the Dornish princess never complained which prompted Lily's admiration for her to grow.

But the red head also had a feeling that they might be able to use a break from the norm…and that was when she lit upon an idea.

One day after they had finished taking their meal in Elia's chambers, Ashara had decided to retire early leaving Lily and Elia alone.

They were sitting in the large window seat of Elia's chambers with their empty trays on tables a few feet away and the room was quiet as the sun was about to go down.  
Elia was picking absently at her sewing and Lily was attempting to pen a letter to Lysa she smiled to herself.

The Dornish princess happened to glance up at that moment and see her smile. "What is it?"

Lily's grin grew and she slowly put her letter down. "If you could go anywhere in the known world right now….where would it be?"

Elia blinked a few times at her friend and the unexpected question. "No one's ever asked me that before."

"Well I'm asking it now," Lily said with a cheeky smile. "If you could choose somewhere to go right now…where would it be?"

The brunette was silent for a moment as she pondered the question and then a slow smile crossed her face. It was almost the sort of the smile that appeared when a special memory was being remembered or the smell of something wonderful wafted through the room.

"Lys," she said softly. "I would go to Lys. I went there when I was much younger with Doran. He was older by far than Oberyn and I and he had business to attend to for our mother. So while he spoke with politicians and haggled over details, I walked the beaches with our servants, dug my toes into the sand and played in the water. The weather never changes there…it's always sunny, always warm."

"It sounds lovely," Lily admitted. "It certainly would be nice to go there to escape all the nonsense we're dealing with now."

Elia picked up on the sneaky tone immediately and narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Alright, you're up to something, out with it."

Lily smirked at the brunette. "What if I told you we could go to Lys, you and me, right now?"

Elia blinked several times and her mouth opened and closed before it seemed she was able to speak. "Are you telling me that if we wanted to, we could go to Lys right now…and _no one_ would be the wiser?"

Lily's grin grew. "Absolutely."

Elia's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she clasped her hands in front of her like a small child that had just been promised a sweet. "Oh can we Lily? I would do anything to escape this palace for a few hours! It would be such a relief."

The red head grinned. "Very well your grace, then listen to me carefully for here is my plan."

She went on to explain what she had in mind to the princess and smiled as Elia's delight grew and grew.

Upon the conclusion of the explanation of her scheme, Lily got up and made for the door. "I will got to my room now and wait for five minutes while you inform the guard outside that you are going to bed and not to be disturbed."

"Right," Elia nodded. "Once I have done that I will find another summery dress to wear and then weight for you to return. Lys is quite hot."

"Excellent."

The red head ducked out of the door and bid the guard goodnight before heading off in the direction of her own rooms.

At the fork in the hallway, she looked up and down the corridors to make certain there were no servants approaching before she whispered the words to the disillusionment charm.

Lily was certain there weren't going to be many people wandering the halls at this late hour but one couldn't be too careful.

Elbert had told her that he was going to spend the evening alone with some letters but she didn't want him to have any reason to think that she was available to talk to.

She closed her eyes and spun on her heel apparating to the door of her room and entering it quickly.

In a few moments she had stripped off her thicker dress and laced herself into a pale blue silk gown perfect for walking the beach. Then she bunched up the pillows under the sheets of her bed to give the appearance of someone sleeping before waiting the necessary five minutes.

Once the time was up, she smiled and apparated back into Elia's room.

The princess, who had been bustling about the room before her appearance, jumped at the cracking sound and whirled around to find Lily standing there.

"By the Seven," she gasped pressing a hand against her chest. "Is that what its going to be like?"

Lily grinned. "Yes, but I can promise you won't like it the first time. It's going to be very dizzying and you're going to have to hold on tight to my hand. If you let go, you're not going to like what happens."

Elia looked at her warily. "What will happen?"

Lily hesitated. "I'll tell you when we get to Lys, but for now just know that you cannot let go of my hand."

The princess stared at her for a moment before nodding fiercely. "Very well, I'm ready let's go."

"Good," Lily said. "Take my hand now."

Once Elia had done so, the red head closed her eyes and centered a picture of a beach firmly in her mind. Thankfully there were pictures in the books at home and she had once read about a deal being brokered between Lys and Myr for the use of their waterways. Accompanying it had been a picture of a most beautiful white sand beach.

Lily centered the image in her mind and spun on her heel, gripping Elia's arm for all she was worth.

There was a terrible jerking sensation that made Lily feel as if she were standing on the pinnacle of a toy top that had just been spun by a small giant but she fought to remain on her feet and refused to open her eyes.

No doubt the spinning sensation would be enough to make her lose her lunch.

Poor Elia.

Finally the spinning sensation eased and apart from some swaying Lily managed to stay upright. Elia's hand in hers had gone limp and for a moment Lily was worried.

She opened her eyes and was temporarily blinded by the blazing sunlight.

"We're here," said a faint voice next to her. "We're actually in Lys. The land I remember, the city of beaches and canals and ocean waves."

Lily glanced about and saw immediately that everything her friend said was true.

At the moment they were standing on a white sand beach, their feet half buried in the stuff. About five feet to the right of them was where the waves met the shore and the distant roar could distinctly be heard far off across the water.

The shoreline stretched out for miles ahead of them and almost seemed to meet the very sky itself. There was not a cloud above them a warm breeze was blowing, sending Lily's curls flying off her shoulders and making her glad she had decided to change before they had come here.

"Is it like you remember?" Lily asked, partially in awe at the uniquely beautiful place.

"Exactly the same," Elia said clapping her hands together and laughing delightedly. "I remember walking the beach for hours one afternoon and nearly becoming lost, forcing my brother and our guards to come after me. Needless to say he wasn't the happiest with me for wandering off."

Lily looked to her left and noticed several pathways made of stone leading up and away from the beach. "I take it those go towards the city?"

"Aye, those paths if I'm not mistaken lead directly to the markets on the edge of the city," Elia explained. "I don't think we'll tread that path this time, it might be risky for two women unarmed and alone. Besides I want to stay on the beach at any rate."

"Very well," Lily said with a smile, "then why don't we make ourselves comfortable?"

She waved her hand and in the blink of an eye two lounge chair appeared with a table of fruit and cheese perched between them.

Elia blinked and then burst into laughter. "Gods Lily, the day you became my friend was such an unexpected gift! Life is never dull around you, you know that?"

Lily smirked. "I like to live on the edge your grace. Being predictable is my worst nightmare."

She immediately removed her shoes and seated herself in the chair on the left, spreading her silk skirt around her so it wouldn't blow in the breeze. "Well sit down then, we have all night to relax."

"Speaking of all night," Elia said. "I never understood how it could be day in some parts of the world and night in the other."

"A different phenomenon," Lily explained, "we are in the east which would explain hours being different. We are several hours away from Westeros and they would receive the sun later than the Essosi."

Elia shrugged. "Doesn't make much sense to me but as long as we have a few hours of uninterrupted daylight to ourselves then I cannot complain."

She seated herself down in the chair next to Lily and plucked an apricot from the silver plate between them. Rolling it back and forth between her hands, Elia stared out to sea and fixed Lily with a grin.

This reminds me of when I was back in Sunspear with my good sister Mellario. We would often sit in chairs like this in the sand and watch her children and my brother's daughters play in the waves."

"How many children does Oberyn have?" Lily asked curiously.

"More than one, with one more on the way," Elia said with a long suffering sigh. "I honestly wonder if Oberyn is merely fathering bastards as a way to see how much patience Doran has."

Lily chuckled. "He does seem to be the sort to test the rules. But at least he takes care of them."

"Aye, there is that," Elia replied. "Bastards aren't seen as a blemish in Dorne, they're children. They haven't done any one any harm. And my brother loves his daughters very much."

Lily smiled, remembering the discussion, if one could call it that, that had taken place in the Eyrie when it was discovered that Robert Baratheon had fathered a child.

 _I wonder what's going to become of that child,_ she thought to herself. _Hopefully Lord Arryn will see to his or her upbringing._

Elia bit into the apricot and hummed happily as a squirt of pink juice dribbled down her chin. "Are you sure you didn't get these from Sunspear itself?"

"Well seeing as how I've never been there before that would be a little hard wouldn't it?" Lily said wryly. "But I'm glad you like it."

"Gods, I wish I had magic," Elia said in a low voice as she finished her fruit and then tossed the pit as far as she could into the waves. "Life would be so much easier."

Lily raised an eyebrow at her friends' tone and was immediately reminded of Elia's words to her in the godswood several weeks ago. "Is there trouble in paradise?"

"No," the Dornish girl said slowly in a manner that made Lily think she wasn't being entirely truthful. "It's just….life at court is very different than life in Sunspear. I knew that when the letter from the king came…but its one of those things where you don't understand how different until you live it."

"Are you unhappy?" Lily asked.

The side of Elia's face twisted into a contemplative expression. "Not exactly, but I wouldn't say I'm thriving either."

"And in what way did you expect to thrive?" Lily asked.

"I knew I wanted to be somewhat involved in politics," Elia said wistfully. "Perhaps ensure that the children of King's Landing had a home to go for whatever reason. There are far too many orphans there and not enough orphanages. The one that do exist are criminally underfunded."

"Well why don't we turn our attention to that?" Lily said. "If children is where your heart is, what's stopping you from getting involved?"

Elia squirmed somewhat. "I didn't want to bring myself to the attention of the king?"

"Do you really think he would care about an orphanage that much so as feel any sort of emotion about it?" Lily asked. "The man practically leaves the running of the entire realm to his Hand and the small council."

"Regardless," Elia said in a grim voice. "He is as unpredictable as wildfire and I would rather not draw attention to myself. Life is going to become infinitely more complicated the longer I remain here."

As she said this, the hand that had been resting beneath her chin moved from her face down to press against her belly.

Lily knew instantly then her friend's source of worry and discomfort.

"You're pregnant," she whispered.

Elia turned to her with expression that combined excitement and worry. "Yes, yes I am. It must have been on our wedding night. I can only thank the Mother for her gift of fertility for Rhaegar has not touched me since. If I had not missed my moonblood, I might think that I was having some sort of nervous breakdown."

"Congratulations," Lily said with a smile. "This truly wonderful news."

"Thank you my friend," Elia whispered. "But I must ask that you not tell anyone. I still have yet to tell Rhaegar."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Why the delay? How long have you known?"

The other hand joined the first on the princess's stomach. "I've known for a week or two now. I am thankful that I brought with me a master from Sunspear who trained with Maester Myles, the one who is commissioned to my brother. He is the one who confirmed the truth for me."

Lily nodded. She didn't ask why Elia had chosen not to go to the Grand Maester as she had seen him in the company of one Tywin Lannister once and wasn't sure she liked the look of him.

"And how do you feel about it?" she asked gently.

"Honestly?" the princess asked as she looked out over the azure horizon. "I'm ecstatic. I can't wait to have children, its all I've ever wanted. And to think that the child I will give Rhaegar could possibly be the next king is an exciting concept. It would also shut all the hags up."

These last words she muttered in a dissatisfied tone and Lily frowned at her. She had known of the fact that there were grumblings that Elia was an unusual choice for the next queen.

People had said that she was sickly as a child and wouldn't be able to bear the children necessary to carry on the Targaryen line.

Lily didn't pay such people any mind. They had as little sense as a bird of prey suddenly behaving like a cooing dove.

"What would you name the child if you had a boy?" she asked.

"Aegon," Elia said without hesitation. "He was a conqueror, a warrior and someone who built a dynasty. I would want my son to do the same thing."

 _He was also a murderer and a man who fathered a line through incest,_ Lily thought but she didn't dare speak those thoughts aloud.

"And if it's a girl?" she asked.

Elia paused to think, her head tilted to one side. "Either Rhaenys or Visenya. I'm not sure which one."

Lily barely controlled a grimace. They were decent names in their own right but what about Elia's own family?

"You wouldn't want to name a potential daughter after your own mother?" she asked gently. "Meria is a lovely name."

Elia shook her head. "I had thought about it but I don't think it would be too readily accepted. The Targaryens have their….traditions."

 _Don't I know it._

"But enough about me," Elia said switching the topic of conversation. "Tell me about you. How is your relationship with Lord Elbert progressing. He's quite handsome isn't he?"

Lily smiled slightly. "He is and very kind too. He understands that I don't want to marry just yet and do my own exploring of the world, all he wants is to be a part of that process. I was quite honored and touched when he told me that."

Elia gave her a knowing smile. "It seems you are one of the lucky ones my friend. Few men in this world are as introspective as that. Lord Elbert was raised by a good man, Jon Arryn is as honorable as they come. I almost wish he served on the small council."

"That would be interesting wouldn't it?" Lily agreed. "Though I doubt the Warden of the East would leave his echoing mountain halls for the stink of King's Landing."

"You're probably right," Elia said with a sigh. "It certainly does have an awful smell there. I often wonder if it doesn't bother people.

 _The rich don't smell it often enough to actually care,_ Lily thought to herself. _They might get the odd whiff of it on a windy day but otherwise only the ones in Flea Bottom have to put up with it._

"If I were ruling that would be my first order of business," she said without thinking. "Trying to fix this city so it's a habitable place to live for all people regardless of class."

There was a long silence following this statement and Lily grimaced, wondering if she had overstepped.

When she glanced at her friend however, Elia was giving her a thoughtful look. "What is it?"

"Nothing," the Dornish princess said. "I was just thinking. What do you think Westeros would look like if women ruled instead of men?"

Lily felt her eyebrows fly up to her hairline. "That's an odd line of reasoning to follow, whatever made you think of it?"

"Well," Elia said brushing the sand from her dress and turning back to the ocean. "In Dorne, it is the oldest child born to the current ruler that is given the privilege of leading our region and our house. It is not like that throughout the rest of Westeros. I just wondered if it was."

Her hand was on her stomach again and Lily knew instantly that she was thinking about the possibility of her bearing a daughter first rather than a son.

It was an intriguing thought and one Lily rather liked the sound of. It would certainly level the playing field for women in a world that was decidedly dominated by men.

"I could get behind an idea like that," she said thoughtfully. "After all, the highest position a woman in Westeros can achieve is that of Queen, something you will one day be your grace. But if a queen could supplement the place of a king if she were born first….well it certainly is a radical thought."

A silence fell between the two women, each locked in their own somewhat revolutionary thoughts.

Being a modern woman, Lily's sensibilities had been severely tested when she had awakened in this medieval world. She had chafed at the idea of arranged marriages thought Elia had done her part to convince her that some of them weren't all bad.

She certainly was not getting the short end of the stick with Elbert. But there were still some things that bothered her.

But in order to change them, she would need to have a higher position than she currently had.

 _Father would probably be appalled to hear me thinking such things,_ she thought to herself with a wry smile. _Uncle Brynden would probably just laugh. He always knew that I marched to the beat of my own drum. He might think it fascinating. After all, he didn't do what Father wanted him to do._

No more was said about the idea of women ruling but the thought was never far from Lily's mind as they spend the nest few hours on the sun kissed sand just talking about small matters and enjoying their bit of freedom.

But Lily knew even after they had gotten up to leave and apparated back to King's Landing that she would be thinking about that notion for a long time to come.

Ω

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Lily kept a close eye on Elia. She was slowly beginning to show and with that realization came the thought that there had been no further attacks or matters of intrigue involving masked assailants at court.

Even the conversations whispered in the halls had turned back to politics and court matters like economy and shipping.

Everything was quiet.

And that made Lily more on edge than ever.

She was constantly pausing before turning a corner to make sure there was nothing sinister to greet her down the hall and looking over her shoulder at the slightest noise.

For a while the red head wondered if she was losing her mind but then decided that if the court was beginning to calm down than perhaps she should as well.

After all, it had been announced that the new princess was with child and even the king himself was in a jovial mood.

No reason to worry, right?

Right.

She hoped.

In the meantime, she busied herself spending time with both Elbert and getting to know him better and spending time with her uncle who had taken it upon himself, when he wasn't running errands for her father, to resume her sword training in earnest.

After she had left Elia for the day, Lily opted to join her uncle in of the more private areas of the training grounds, away from prying eyes and curious guests to spend some energy in a way of her own choosing.

Brynden lunged and Lily danced back, parrying the blade away.

"Your anticipation has improved," her uncle noted as they circled each other, "that's good."

Lily smiled at him but made no move to attack, she wanted to see what he did first.

Their next few matches carried on in this manner, almost to the point of boredom. Lily and her uncle were alike in that they were careful individuals who wanted to assess all facets of a challenge before tackling it.

When they had finished their practice, both paused for a breath of air when Brynden brought up an intriguing point. "Have you received any letters from your father yet?"

Lily frowned as she looked up from her practice blade. "No, should I have?"

Brynden chuckled, "I got one this morning. Apparently Cat's nameday is approaching in a few months and so your father would like to have a combined celebration both for her and for her new engagement. You know it was talked about but never officially announced. This will be the official announcement."

"Oh joy," Lily said rolling her eyes. "Another evening of dressing up like a peacock and acting like I care."

Brynden Tully threw his head back and roared a laugh at her. "I envy you girl. If you want to disappear from the party all you need to do is use magic to escape."

He said the last words in a low voice whilst looking about but Lily waved her hand. "Don't worry uncle, all the sane lords and ladies have gone to bed at this hour. There is no one to overhear us."

Just then there could be heard the sound of approaching footsteps and both Tullys straightened up, alert.

There was a rustling of branches and they turned to see the familiar figure of Elbert Arryn walking down the pathway towards them.

He paused upon seeing the Blackfish and bowed to him, the older man nodding in turn.

Finally he turned and smiled at Lily. "I thought I might find you here my lady."

Lily smiled at her betrothed. It was still odd to think of him that way and sometimes caused a blush to rise in her cheeks when she contemplated it for too long.

Elbert wasn't a difficult person to like, quite the opposite in fact. He was always ready with a smile and a good bit of advice. He wasn't easy to rattle and possessed a good sense of humor. He was surprisingly liberal in his thinking and Lily was finding it easier to imagine being happy with him. She had known since meeting him that whoever he married would have a good life, but a happy life was something she was now beginning to see an understand.

The thought filled her with both joy and sorrow.

But she didn't let that show.

"And here I am," she said spreading her hands dramatically. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Elbert said slowly but Lily could tell from his tone that he wasn't being entirely truthful."

She glanced at her uncle and thanked whatever gods existed that he had the foresight that they wished to be alone.

He gave her a careful look and she nodded before exchanging a nod with Elbert and striding off down the path.

"Very intimidating man," the blonde noted as he watched Brynden Tully go. "Certainly not someone I would want to face in a fight."

Lily snorted, feeling an almost irrational surge of pride. She loved her entire family but she would certainly say that her uncle was the one she was closest to. He was one of the few that took her seriously about her likes and dislikes.

"He is at that," she said with a smile before turning serious again. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Elbert was silent for a long moment before nodding at the targets at the other end of the practice field. "How skilled are you in the art of shooting a bow my lady?"

Lily shrugged. "I prefer a sword between you and me but I'd like to think I'm not altogether terrible."

He smiled at her. "Would you indulge me a moment?"

Lily glanced at where he was standing and noticed that his feet were placed on either side of the marker.

There were three markers placed several feet apart but all in line with the target at the other end of the field.

Curious, but never one to back down from a challenge, Lily walked over to wear he was standing.

Elbert turned away and retrieved a bow from one of the stockpile sheds to one side. He returned with the bow and a single arrow prompting Lily's curiosity to grow even more.

 _What game is he playing?_

Without a word he handed it to her and nodded as if waiting for her to shoot.

This was one area of martial strategy where Lily was uncertain. She had shot arrows at targets before but it had been awhile. She had always preferred to focus on the person in front of her and her magic would take care of any people who stood at a distance with an arrow to harm her.

At least she hoped she would be observant enough to see threats before she had to engage in a fight.

Carefully Lily notched the arrow to the bow and raised it to the side of her face. She could feel the brush of its feathers against her cheek and the cool roughness of her fingers as they grazed her skin where she held the string.

The bow was stiffer than she had anticipated indicating its long disuse so she had to lower it and pull a few times before the wood became limber in her hand.

Once she was satisfied, she raised the bow again and closed one eye, hoping it would help her narrow in on the target.

It helped to a certain extent and once she was certain she had the bullseye in her sights, she pulled the string back as far as it would go and released.

There was a sharp decisive twang and a hissing noise as the arrow flew through the air towards its destination.

A second later there was a dull thump as the arrow hit the target. Lily took a step closer and squinted, releasing a small huff of disappointment for even though the arrow had hit the target, it had gone nowhere near the bullseye, instead latching itself to the outermost rim.

"Not too bad," Elbert muttered, sounding as if he were talking to himself. "But I think your stance is wrong."

"How should I be standing?" Lily asked, forgetting for a moment that there were things she still wanted to ask him.

"I'll show you," the blonde said and went to retrieve the arrow from the target.

He strode over and positioned himself behind her, almost too close but Lily didn't altogether mind it.

He carefully reached his arms around her until one hand was on her left arm and the other was on her right.

Standing so close, Lily suddenly became aware of the slight pine scent that his clothes carried, making her think he had been standing near a wood burning fire for just a tad too long.

Subtler than that however was the warm musk of his skin, a scent which caused her to be even more aware of him.

Their betrothal hadn't been announced but it was understood between the two of them and their immediate family that a marriage would be an occurrence in the near future.

Lily had been trying not to think of that and instead focus on getting to know Elbert better without the pressure of seeing him as her betrothed or husband.

So far she had been enjoying it but even now, feeling her back nearly pressed against his chest and his arms almost trapping her in an intimate embrace, she began to feel the stirrings of something she hadn't felt in a very long time…attraction.

The realization made her want to shudder but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

If Elbert was feeling a similar way, Lily couldn't tell from the way he raised both of her arms, fitted the arrow to the string again and helped her pull the string back.

There was an almost methodical smoothness to his movements as if he had done this a million times before. But judging from who he was, he likely had.

"The trick," he said in a soft voice, his breath almost tickling her ear and sending goosebumps down the side of her neck. "Is to evenly distribute your weight and ensure that the hand which holds the bow does not waver."

Lily almost expected him to remain holding her for the shot but to her surprise he took a step back so that there was space between them again.

Annoyed at the sense of loss his presence gave her, Lily raised the bow and shot without thinking.

Unlike the last time the arrow seemed to cut through the air like a hot knife through butter and reach the target far faster.

With a dull thump it met the target and buried itself in the painted straw.

Slowly Lily lowered the bow and narrowed her eyes to see the arrow embedded on the very fringe of the bullseye.

A sound of frustration left her which caused Elbert to chuckle. "It'll come with practice my lady."

The red head released a breath making sure she was fully in control of herself again before she turned to him. "Was there something you wanted to talk about my lord?"

Elbert blinked and then straightened and whatever fragile atmosphere of intimacy there had been immediately disappeared. "My uncle has written. I am being recalled to the Eyrie."

Now it was Lily's turn to blink. "You are? Is something the matter? Has something happened?"

The look Elbert gave her was maddeningly vague. "I don't think so. He didn't say so in many words but I think there are several problems that involve the Mountain Clans."

A chill crept up Lily's spine and in a second she was back on that misty path in the Vale feeling the medallion burning in her hand and watching the bizarrely dressed men disappear into the rapidly encroaching fog.

"What sort of problems?" she asked in a bit of a daze.

"I don't know," Elbert said with a shrug, "I suppose I'll learn when I return."

Lily swallowed hard and nodded. "When do you leave?"

"In the morning."

The red head blinked and her dismay must have shown on her face because Elbert stepped forward and reached for her hand in an attempt to placate her. "I know this is unfortunate just as we were getting to know each other, but I promise I'll see you again."

Lily was torn between genuine dismay at the knowledge that she wouldn't see him everyday and true annoyance that she was feeling this way so soon.

"Was my disappointment that obvious?" she asked with a half smile trying to make light of the situation as best she could.

"Trust me," the heir to the Vale said, "I think I might be disappointed enough for the two of us. But my duty does call. Although I am hesitant to take it up right away given everything that has happened here."

Lily knew he was talking about the assassination attempts but given how silent everything had become she didn't think he had reason to worry. Besides, Elbert didn't know about her magic.

 _At some point you should tell him,_ said the voice of practicality. _That is quite the secret to take into a marriage._

"I think we'll be alright," she said in an effort to reassure him. "There hasn't really been much going on here. I think you'll find more excitement in the Vale than the capital."

Elbert was giving her a funny smile that caused whatever words she had been about to say next to die on her lips. "Lily…I am beginning to realize that no matter where I go, as long as I'm with you, there is more excitement than without."

Lily blinked, unsure if that was a compliment or a jest. "I don't know how good of a thing that is my lord."

"It's a very good thing," the blonde said slowly walking towards her until they were almost chest to chest. "I find you've helped to bring a lot of excitement back to my life where before there was ritual and duty. And that is a very welcome thing."

"Well," Lily said in a small voice suddenly realizing how close they were standing. "I'm glad that I could oblige."

"As am I," Elbert said in a low voice as he looked down at her and Lily swallowed hard, feeling the familiar flutters in her stomach that she hadn't felt for what seemed like an obscenely long time.

They remained that way, suspended in time for a moment before Lily allowed herself to truly look into his eyes.

Those blue orbs looked as bright as two stars in the light of the dying sun and there was a curiosity and an intent to them that stirred in her blood.

Lily had no idea what prompted what came next.

Before she had time to question her decision or how it was going to be perceived by her betrothed, she had stood on her toes and pressed a brief but gentle kiss to his lips. They were soft and welcoming and just as Lily was about to pull away, she was surprised to feel Elbert's arm wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

His response was tentative but Lily took it as a good sign and stepped closer to him, the pair deepening the kiss at the same time.

She was shocked and somewhat embarrassed when a low hum of satisfaction emanated from her and she prayed to whatever gods that existed that no one was around to hear that.

A moment later, the pair broke apart. Elbert's breathing was somewhat heavy but there was a look of satisfied delight in his eyes as he took her in.

Lily for her part was startled by her actions but couldn't say that she regretted them.

After a moment Elbert spoke. "I suppose I may take that as my goodbye then."

Lily nodded, still somewhat out of breath. "You may, I hope it was adequate."

Elbert threw back his head and laughed, a deep throaty sound that made Lily smile somewhat. "Far more than adequate my lady. Would it be too forward of my to request that the next time I see you I be greeted in the same manner?"

Lily was thankful for the dying sun as her burning cheeks were somewhat hidden. "Well….I wouldn't be opposed to the idea."

Elbert's eyes softened and he took a step back so they were near each other again. "I'm glad. I would be very disappointed if that was the last time something like that happened."

He bent slightly and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek leaving Lily startled and dazed.

"Goodnight my lady," he said in a soft voice before turning and striding back down the path, blue cloak brushing the stones as he went.

It wasn't until he was out of sight that Lily released her breath…and started to smile.

Ω


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 _Nine months later….._

Lily grimaced as Elia squeezed her hand tight enough to make bones crack and released a shaky breath as the contraction passed. This process had been going on for almost an hour and if it continued, she worried her friend would crush her hand completely.

The red head cast a concerned look at the princess on the bed. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her hair lay in damp tendrils against it. She had her dress pushed up above her knees and her own maester was giving her form a critical look.

Lily winced again as she felt Elia shudder from another contraction and the tension on her hand increased.

"You're doing well your grace," the maester encouraged. He was a small man who went by the name of Solas. "It shouldn't be much longer now."

Lily glanced at the sheets lying beneath Elia's lower half and noted the small bits of blood there. "Forgive me maester but blood during a birth doesn't seem to be the most encouraging sign."

"There is always blood during the birth of a child lady Lilian," the maester explained. "Muscles are straining, the heart is beating twice as fast from the increased pressure and stress, it might be odd if there wasn't blood."

Lily wasn't sure she agreed with him. When she had given birth to hair there had only bee a slight amount of blood after the birth and most of it had been on him. None of it had come before the birth which was a cause for concern to her.

Still it didn't seem like the best time to start an argument and judging from the look the queen mother had sent her from the other side of the bed, she was in agreement.

Rhaella herself had bustled in not long after Lily had been summoned to Elia's chambers with the news that she had gone into labour. She seemed to know exactly what to do as she had wasted no time in getting the hot water heated and telling Elia had to breathe.

Lily had to stop herself numerous times from doing the same thing as no one could know that she had gone through this entire process before with Harry.

Harry….

She wondered if the child was a boy if he would bear any sort of resemblance to the child she had lost. She knew the chances of such an occurrence were slim to none but at the same time, the Stranger was a tricky bastard and she wouldn't put it beyond him to commit such a petty and sadistically ironic act.

"Has the crown prince been sent for your grace?" she asked the queen.

Rhaella's mouth tightened and Lily got to the distinct feeling that she was displeased about something.

"He had gone hunting with Ser Arthur," she said in a low voice. "I had a servant go after them to bring him the news."

Lily decided to not ask anymore questions and turned back to her friend.

"Will it be much longer?" Elia gasped.

"No sweetling," the queen said pressing a damp cloth to the Dornish princess's forehead. "You're doing so well."

"Were long births common in your family?" Lily asked in an attempt to distract her.

The laugh Elia uttered was breathy. "No, which is why I'm hoping this one won't be. Oberyn was by far the fastest, or so I'm told. My brother told me that it was only twenty minutes before he was born."

"Twenty minutes, my goodness," Rhaella exclaimed. "The Mother herself must have reached inside Princess Meria's womb and yanked him out."

It was such an absurd thing for the queen to say that both Lily and Elia exchanged brief glances before bursting into laughter.

Rhaella smiled at the both of them and the red head was certain she saw some tension leave the older woman.

The laughter was shortlived however just then Elia tensed and her back arched leading Lily to believe that it was almost time.

Her thoughts were corroborated by the maester who peered between the princess's legs and then beamed at her. "You're almost there your grace, it is alright to push now. I can just make out the babe's head."

 _Finally,_ Lily thought to herself. _I thought I was going to explode from all the waiting._

Elia nodded, gritted her teeth and then gripped both Lily and Rhaella's hands even tighter if that were possible and closed her eyes.

Every muscle in her body seemed to be straining and Lily winced in sympathy. The chamber was filled with a tense silence that made Lily wonder where on earth Rhaegar was.

A moment later however it was broken by a soft mewling cry. Elia sagged back onto the bed like a puppet that had had all of its strings cut.

"Congratulations your grace," the maester murmured. "The gods have given you a healthy daughter, a princess."

Lily felt her insides freeze and glanced over the top of the bed at Rhaella who's smile had also frozen in place.

"Let me see her," Elia asked weakly and the maester handed her a small mewling bundle. Rhaella helped her adjust the pillows so she could sit up and a moment later, Lily was afforded a glimpse of a small head covered in tufts of jet black hair.

"She looks like you sweetling," Rhaella said softly which earned her a tired smile from Elia. Just then the babe opened her eyes and Lily gasped quietly at the vision of purple eyes that became visible.

"But she has her father's eyes," Elia said proudly. "She is a Targaryen and her name will be Rhaenys."

"An excellent name daughter," Rhaella remarked releasing a breathless laugh. "Rhaegar will be so happy."

Lily swallowed hard and tried not to think about the reaction of the prince. She knew the royal family had been hoping for an heir to the throne first and then a daughter.

 _Merlin, I hope this all goes well._

"Your grace?"

Lily glanced up in time to see the maester looking at Elia, his expression tense. Alarm bells began going off in her head.

"What is it?" Elia asked, her smile fading.

"Perhaps it would be best to give the new princess to one of the servants," he said in a low voice.

"Is there a problem?" Elia asked.

The maester opened his mouth, then closed it but was then saved from having to answer when the queen glanced down at the end of the bed and pressed a hand to her mouth. "Sweetling, you're still bleeding."

Lily's breath hitched in her throat and Elia's expression changed to one of terror.

"Why is she still bleeding?" she demanded of the maester.

"I don't know my lady," he said, hands fluttering about looking for clean cloths.

"Well figure it out you fool!" Rhaella hissed. "Are you a maester or not?"

Lily exchanged a glance with Elia and grimaced when she saw how scared her friend looked.

"Would you like me to take Rhaenys for a moment?" she asked softly. "At least until we figure this out and the bleeding is stopped?"

The princess hesitated for a long moment and the tension in the room thickened like curdled milk.

Finally she nodded choppily and handed the swaddled babe over looking extremely reluctant.

"Everything's going to be alright," Lily said doing her best to give her a reassuring smile. "I promise."

Ω

Everything was not alright.

And several hours later when Lily stalked back to her chambers, physically and emotionally exhausted she knew it would take a miracle for things to be alright again.

The maester had laboured over Elia for the better part of an hour, trying to get the bleeding to stop and finally….mercifully he did.

But their relief was short lived for he asked to speak to Elia alone. Rhaella of course looked like she was going to plant her feet like a tree and not budge but Lily had gently herded her out of the room, once more promising that everything was going to be alright.

It was the second promise that she had made and broken that day.

When the maester had emerged, his face had been tense and implacable, leaving Lily and the queen to fear the worst.

Rhaegar still hadn't arrived but as it turned out that was a small blessing from the gods. He had ushered them back into the room and shut the door where a tearful Elia was waiting for them to tell them the heartbreaking news.

Lily slammed the door to her chamber closed with such force that it rattled on its hinges. The burning tears she had held back on her walk down the hall now spilled over and she crumpled into a heap on the floor.

It wasn't fair, it just wasn't.

Elia hadn't done anything to anyone, she was the most innocent person that Lily had ever met in this life and suddenly she was the one who was suffering.

Looking in her friend's eyes as she tearfully told them that the maester had said she would have no more children had been the most gut wrenching thing she had ever experienced.

Rhaella's face had been ashen and she had swayed on her feet until Lily had helped her into a chair.

Elia had then begged the both of them not to say anything about this to anyone as the implications of this would be huge. The prince had no male heir and if news got out that Elia hadn't been able to produce one, there would be little stopping Rhaegar from casting his wife aside in favor of a healthier lady who would be able to give him a son. He might even go so far as to disinherit Rhaenys in favor of any children he might have with another. The political shifts would be massive and no doubt the king would fly into an apoplectic rage.

But for now, no doubt all of the realm would celebrate the birth of the new princess and no news about infertility would darken conversations.

Lily swallowed hard and lifted her head from her arms. She was glad she had charm the room so no one would hear her sobs. She caught sight of her face in the floor length mirror and sighed. It was a blotchy red ruin, almost as crimson as her hair and her green eyes looked sickly.

But even as she got up and tried to clean herself up, her heart was breaking for her friend. Elia had looked so small in the bed as they had said goodbye and a part of Lily had wanted to stay behind and comfort her.

But she also knew that if she didn't leave the room within the next minute, she was going to lose control of her tightly wound emotions and Elia didn't need to see that.

 _This can't be happening,_ she thought to herself as she ground her teeth together. _Elia did not come this far to suffer this injustice. I won't allow it._

 _And what exactly are you going to do?_ A mocking little voice asked her in the back of her mind.

Lily snarled out loud even though she knew no one else was in the room. _I may have been helpless about where I was sent but I am not going to play the victim any longer. I am going to find a way to help Elia, whatever it takes!_

Her mind went on autopilot as she took a bath and got herself ready for bed. She knew it wouldn't be long before news of this got out. Elia was sitting on a ticking time bomb and soon it was going to go off.

Something had to be done and quick.

Lily scrubbed herself until her skin was red and then dried herself before putting on her bed clothes. She eyed the stack of letters sitting on her writing desk and contemplated writing a return to Elbert before she felt asleep.

It might prove to be a nice distraction and a distraction was certainly something that she needed right now.

He had been writing to her steadily since he had left to return to the Eyrie and Lily found she looked forward to his letters. The phrase absence makes the heart grow fonder did hold some truth after all.

His letters were always quite sweet and thought provoking to the point where she wished that there were many more of the Arryn men, enough to populate all of Westeros and do away with the trickery and deceit of politics.

 _Honor. Honor and bad luck…it's a horrid combination for people in this world._

Lily shivered and decided she wouldn't entertain the thought any longer. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and grief and she knew she wouldn't get far in either reading or writing another letter before they closed completely.

 _I believe I'll call it a night,_ she thought to herself, sitting down heavily on the bed. _I can't wait for this day to be over._

But as the red head lay down and covered herself with the blanket, her mind kept turning over Elia's problem like a mouse running on a wheel.

There had to be a solution. Surely the maester had just given them the worst case scenario. Elia couldn't possibly be barren….could she?

 _You saw all the blood,_ the bitter little voice whispered in her head. _What do you think?_

Lily sighed and rolled over, beating her pillow into submission. She had a feeling she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

All of a sudden, as she rolled onto her side for what she was certain wouldn't be the last time that night, a sudden notion came to her, causing her to sit straight up in her bed.

"Of course," she whispered aloud. "Why didn't I think of it earlier?"

If muggle solutions refused to work, than a magical solution must be found.

A fertility potion.

It was so simple, so blatantly obvious she could have smacked herself for not thinking of it earlier.

 _But how?_ Lily thought to herself as she threw back the blanket, got up and began to pace. _Potions ingredients here wouldn't be the same as they were in England and I don't have access to unicorn hairs or dragon's heartstring. What am I going to use to supplement all of that?_

Then she paused in her stride, remembering that during one of her many shopping trips with Elia, they had passed several apothecaries featuring exotic commodities from Essos.

 _It certainly wouldn't hurt to look inside and see what they have,_ she thought to herself, wringing her hands together as she paced. _Elia's no worse off than she is now._

That was another thing, she could not tell her friend until the potion itself came together in her cauldron. Shattered hope was far worse than no hope at all.

 _I'll go into the city tomorrow, s_ he thought to herself, already beginning to plan. _Elia will no doubt be preoccupied with Rhaenys and I can slip away and be back before anyone notices that I'm gone. I pray that this works._

After she had put together a carefully constructed idea, the red head climbed back into bed. But sleep didn't find her for a very long time.

Ω

Lily pulled the hood of her cloak more tightly about her face as she peered over the items displayed in the apothecary. So far it was far tamer than the potions ingredients store in Diagon Alley but seeing the dried pickled hearts of supposed manticores from Sothoryos.

Lily didn't know much about the far eastern lands but supposedly it was riddled with jungles, strange animals and cannibals.

No manticore hearts would not do for this potion.

Moon stones which contained healing elements would be essential for this potion. There were also the herbs and spices such as ginger and thyme.

What surprised Lily the most were the ingredients Aconite, Adder's fork and even Bezoars although here they were called Goat Seeds. She saw bitterwings and blood root along with supposed dragon scales.

 _What I wouldn't give for some unicorn hair right about now,_ Lily groused to herself.

She selected a handful of moonstones from one of the thatched baskets and poured it into one of the cloth bags in her basket.

"Is there anything in particular you are looking for my lady?" said the bulbous nosed proprietor who's eyes were far too sparkly to be natural.

Lily forced a smile, glad she had kept her hood up. Her bright red hair would make her an easy memory should someone ever learn she had come here.

"No thank you," she forced herself to reply. "I thought I would just come in to look around. I've never been in one of these shops before."

"Oh well then you must have a look at the new supply of beatles that have arrived from the Summer Islands," the proprietor gushed. "They only emerge once a year to mate and shed their wings and the wings are infused with remarkable healing properties, they increase blood flow, prevent diseases, heal wounds – "

Lily who had only been half paying attention, snapped back to focus at the mention of the word healing.

"And what sort of healing does it promote?" she asked.

"Oh all sorts my lady," the proprietor said eagerly and all of a sudden the red head wanted to roll her eyes. He had almost had her. She had forgotten that King's Landing was the place where there was always money changing hands, and very little of it gained through honesty.

"Well thank you," she said backing away from him slowly. "But I think I'm going to have a look around for a little while longer, just to assuage my curiosity you know. Thank you ever so much for your help."

The proprietor looked disappointed by her dismissal but he was nevertheless bright enough to take the hint. "If you need anything my lady, please do not hesitate to call."

But Lily was already moving away from him, deeper into the store. She knew that there were many ingredients that promised healing but most of the obvious ones were shams. The trick was in looking for the more obscure.

She hedged down a narrow hallway towards what appeared to be a back room, bypassing books of healing and oddly shaped jars filled with the strangest plants she had ever seen.

The cobwebs on the walls were thick and she had to duck under them in some places. This room wasn't used very much it seemed.

Finally she came into a dim light and looked around a tiny cramped chamber upon which there were shelves and shelves of strange ingredients.

There were all manner of plants and flowers growing in their own jars as if by some strange magic.

As pickled eyes peered dully out of misty glass jars at her as if they were as normal as olives pickling. Lily cringed and looked away, searching for something, anything that might help her repair her friends damaged womb.

And then she saw it.

Acromantula venom.

How Acromantule venom somehow managed to worm its way through dimensions into this new world of Westeros, Lily had no idea but upon seeing the large jar full of dark green liquid with an egg like consistency, she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

It was a lesser known fact that the venom held extraordinary healing properties. She had discovered that tidbit of knowledge when she had broken into the restricted section with Severus in their fourth year of school before exams.

It wasn't expected knowledge given the nature of the beast that it came from and the fact that the taste itself was hideous.

Another strange tidbit of information was that acromantula venom when mixed with olive oil would retain its liquid state and not dry out. It also acted as a neutralizing agent to its potency, so while it retained its burn while being ingested, it healed rather than destroyed.

 _Is it possible that there are acromantulas, various colonies in Sothoryos?_ Lily thought to herself wildly as she picked up the jar.

This was it.

This just might work, but it would take meticulous brewing, along with the healing properties of the moonstones in her basket along with care and attention to detail.

As Lily stared into the yellow depths of the venom, she became aware of her own reflection in the glass smiling back at her.

This just might work.

Then she turned around and strode out of the room to find the proprietor and pay for her usual selection.

With any luck, she would have a fully mature fertility potion before anyone found out that Elia was barren.

Ω

 **Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel everyone! you can find it under the name Kaetie Mac!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Elia eyed the thick and sticky yellow mixture contained in the glass with some distaste. "Are you certain that this will work?"

Lily swallowed hard as she glanced at it. "As certain as I can be."

The potion had taken weeks to brew but the results were eerily similar to the fertility potion Lily had brewed for her seventh year elective. She had received a perfect grade and when she and James had been struggling to conceive, she had swallowed her pride and downed the same mixture. The result was Harry.

She closed her eyes briefly at the memory of him before pushing aside the pain. "I know it looks distasteful and it tastes even worse but at this point we're out of options. This is the best solution that we have."

Elia nodded but still didn't look completely convinced. She had been planning to inform Rhaegar of their dilemma until Lily informed her that she might have a plan to give them all some hope.

But sitting here in her chambers with a sickly yellow liquid in her hand made her feel at least a bit squeamish.

"I know," she said but the answer was more for herself than Lily. The last few weeks had been brutal. She had been struggling not to cry at least once a day and she had to maintain a tight façade around nearly everyone but Lily and Rhaella. It had left her emotions frayed and agitated as she struggled to cope with the political implications of her infertility.

Tywin Lannister would no doubt swoop in once the news got out and offer his daughter Cersei as a suitable alternative.

The Martells would be insulted but what could they do? It's not as if Doran would be foolish enough to wage a war to put Rhaenys on the throne even though Elia secretly wished he would. Women were raised to be independent in Dorne and her daughter wasn't just a Targaryen.

Women could and _had_ ruled in Dorne. So why couldn't the rest of the realm accept such a thing as a Queen instead of a King?  
But she could lament the sexism of this country to her heart's content and it still wouldn't change the fact that she would be doing so from her own chambers in Sunspear, far, far away from any sort of power.

No.

If this was the only option in order to conceive an heir than it was going to be the one she would have to take.

She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to meet Lily's troubled green ones. "And there aren't going to be any sort of…ghastly side effects?"

The red head's response wasn't comforting. "I've brewed this before and it hasn't yielded any lasting changes other than what it is supposed to do. But everyone's body is different. It's entirely possible that yours might reject the potion. But we won't know until you drink it.

"Very comforting," Elia muttered staring into the depths of her glass and suddenly wishing she could drown in it.

 _Do you want control?_ A small voice asked in the back of her mind. _Do you want heirs? Do you want to silence all of your critics and doubters?_

Yes to all of those questions.

 _Then drink the bloody potion. You'll be no worse off than before._

"Have you tried it?" Elia asked.

"Of course I have," Lily said somewhat indignantly. "You don't think I'd give you something to try if I hadn't first tried it did you? The trouble is that I don't have a fertility problem…at least I think I don't. So in order for us to see tangible results, someone who is having trouble conceiving needs to take it. But I will say this, it tastes as disgusting as it looks."

Elia snorted, "well at least that's some certainty."

A moment of silence reigned between the two women in which both succumbed to certain states of anxiety. Lily's primarily centered upon her friend's health and the wild hope that this modified potion would indeed work and that Elia would once more be able to conceive.

For Elia, her fear was that the potion would perhaps worsen her health problems or at worst not work at all, giving her false hope only to snatch it away.

But if she didn't take it, then she might as well leave this room, go in search of Rhaegar and tell him that she wouldn't be able to bear him any more children.

That alternative was enough to push her over the edge.

"Very well then," Elia muttered to herself. _Mother please protect me._

Then without giving herself time for second thoughts, she raised the glass to her lips and downed it in a single swallow.

Instantly her mouth and throat bloomed with the acrid sensation of burning smoke and she coughed, nearly bringing the liquid back up. Through a sheer force of will she was able to swallow but it took a massive effort.

Its thick consistency brought with it the essence of what she thought powdered metal might taste like if it had been set ablaze. It seared her throat on its downward journey to her stomach and once it had reached her stomach, the burning was somewhat muted but still present enough for her to feel it and be uncomfortable.

With a trembling hand, Elia set the glass back on the table and took several deep breaths as she fought to control her nausea.

After a few moments she was able to look up and see Lily gazing at her with a look of empathy and concern on her face.

"How do you feel?" the red head asked tentatively.

Elia had to swallow a few times before she trusted herself to be able to speak. "Like I just swallowed liquid fire, but a liquid fire that also had a taste."

Lily nodded grimly. "That was my sensation when I first tasted it too. But its like medicine. And medicine is always supposed to taste beastly."

Elia coughed again but this time it was from laughter. "I suppose that's true."

When Lily got up to clear their glasses Elia waited for a moment before asking what was perhaps the obvious question. "How long should I wait before going to him?"

Lily paused. "It's been over a month since Rhaenys was born yes?"

"Yes."

"Then I would wait one more week and then do not stop him from visiting you. Seven days should be sufficient."

Elia nodded and rubbed her stomach, still feeling the muted burning sensations of the potion sitting there. Her throat still felt burned from the acrid taste and she suddenly wished for a glass of water to make it go away.

She stopped herself from asking for one however as she remembered something her brother had told her when he was studying to be a maester in the citadel. Water would dilute the concentration of another substance. In order for the potion to work to its fullest potential, her body would need to absorb every one of its unaltered properties, disgusting as they may be.

She sighed. "Thank you Lily."

The red head chuckled. "Thank me when it's worked and you're pregnant again. This is the most delicate stage. Either it works and you can conceive again or – "  
"Or it doesn't and I have to tell Rhaegar that he needs to marry someone who can," Elia said. "Perhaps it's the potion talking but would that be such a bad thing?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at her as she drew the curtains. Thankfully it was evening and so Elia could have the excuse of going to bed if she still didn't feel well. "You might be able to escape this political minefield…but Rhaenys never will."

"Don't be too certain," Elia replied bitterly. "Her grandfather might see it fit to disown her as his view of a punishment which would make her no more than a royal bastard if he finds out that I am unable to conceive."

Lily's eyes narrowed as she thought of the old dragon and made a silent vow to herself that he would not interfere.

She briefly wondered at the notion of what would happen if the Martells tried to place Rhaenys on the throne. She would of course support her friend but she couldn't be sure of what her father would do.

Then she shook her head, a war wasn't going to happen. Elia was going to conceive again and hopefully this time it would be a son and all of this conversation could be put to rest.

Elia sighed and stretched. "I think I shall retire for the night. Perhaps I'll dream up a conception of an heir to the throne."

Lily snorted. "I would think you need someone else's help for that."

Nevertheless, she bid Elia a good night and slipped from the room before shutting the door behind her.

The sun was indeed beginning to fall and she contemplated the idea of turning in also before she decided to address the stack of letters that was sitting on her writing desk.

When she saw down, Lily saw that the first message was written in a familiar scrawling hand and she grimaced, knowing it was the one that she had been avoiding.

 _Petyr….._

He had sent her two letters, both of which she hadn't replied to but looking at this third one, Lily knew she could avoid his missives no longer.

Taking a deep breath, she reached for the letter opener on her desk and slit open the top of the message.

 _Dear Lily_

 _How fares life in the capital? I trust you haven't embroiled yourself in any plots that you cannot handle. The news out of King's Landing has been unbearably dull which is good news for us to say the least. No one is eager to hear of more tales of masked men with bloody blades._

 _Axel is doing well though he asks every day when you are returning. Fear not, Catelyn and Lysa have taken him in hand and Ed is giving him lessons on how to ride a horse. I of course have removed myself from such activities seeing as how my only talent when it came to horses was falling off them.  
I've spent most of my time in the library and in the company of Maester Vyman who has given me some most interesting books on the political history of Westeros and the time of the Targaryens in Valyria, what little history that we do know. It certainly is fascinating and I am taking notes to share with you upon your return._

Lily grimaced. Petyr seemed to be subtly hinting at her rather soon return to Riverrun. She didn't know when she would go back, only that it wouldn't be for a while. The attacks on Elia had died down but the gods only knew if they would start up again and she was even more vulnerable now that she had had Rhaenys.

She contemplated reading on but then set the letter aside in favor of the next one, a missive she knew how to answer.

Her conscience smarted but she shook her head, determined that she would answer Petyr at another time when she was sure of what she would say.

The letter sitting just beneath it was one that made her face light up and a slight blush fill her cheeks. It was written in Elbert's elegant hand and she knew right away that it would be full of informative news about the Vale and playful suggestions for when she could inevitably come to live there.

Elbert….

He had been gone for a while and yet he still managed to send a letter once sometimes twice a month.

His persistence was endearing and the phrase absence makes the heart grow fonder certainly was true. Lily was beginning to feel a bit of a flutter in her heart when she thought of the handsome blonde and some of the guilt she had felt for liking him had ebbed.

It was a relief to be able to understand that she was healing, the black clouds that Lily had harbored for so long, born of bitterness, grief, guilt, anger, were finally starting to clear.

She slit the letter open eagerly and peered at its contents, an easy smile coming to her face.

As she had expected, it was brimming with information about his doings in the Vale and the instructions he was learning from his uncle.

Though Lily's personal knowledge of Lord Arryn was limited despite the few weeks she had spent in the Eyrie, he certainly seemed to be a calm man, a man driven by his morals and his sense of honor. Though he wouldn't be her good father, he certainly performed that function for Elbert.

Lily did feel a bit gratified to know that the old man would be in their lives even after he relinquished his titles.

 _As far as marriage contracts in this world go….it does seem as if I've struck gold._

She finished reading the letter and set it aside deciding that was enough for the night.

She would reply to Elbert in the morning and as for Petyr, well she would reply to him too and speak only of pleasant things. She was determined not to address whatever infatuation Ashara thought he had.

After all, there wasn't likely any attraction to speak of at this point. She had been in the capital for over a year now. Petyr had probably moved on to someone more suitable and who could return his affections.

Perhaps he now felt feelings for Lysa….she hoped.

With that desire in mind, Lily shoved the letters aside and readied herself for bed.

When she closed her eyes, she hoped that when she opened them again a greater one would come true.

Ω

 _Several weeks later….._

Elia's breath came in pants and gasps as she raced down the hall. She knew she likely should have waited for her guards but she hadn't been able to wait for them.

Down one hall and around another corner, she ran and ran until she reached a familiar door and rested a hand against the paneling beside it so that she could catch her breath.

Barely recovered from her run, the brunette took one more deep breath and rapped briskly upon the wood, hoping against hope that its occupants would be within.

It was still rather early in the morning so most of the keep's inhabitants would still be asleep which she could count as a boon of sorts. The last thing people needed to see was the new princess running down the hall like a banshee.

She wished Ashara were still here but the Dayne girl had been summoned home to care for her ailing father and didn't have a timeline for her return. Ah well, there certainly would need to be a story that would be told later.

But for now she only had one to tell if the person would just come to the bloody door!

There was a long moment of silence where Elia rapped again and finally, _finally_ she heard footsteps in the room beyond and shadow could be seen from under the door frame.

A latch slid back and the door was opened a crack allowing a familiar red head to peek out. "Your grace? What are you doing here is everything all right?"

Lily was certainly surprised to be awoken at the crack of dawn by the princess, especially after the last few weeks had been so quiet.

But Elia's tone betrayed nothing of alarm, in fact her eyes were sparkling and there was color in her cheeks which had been nonexistent before. Her hair was mused as if she had just woken from sleeping but she was fully dressed.

"May I come in?" Elia asked breathlessly and Lily wordlessly held the door open watching as her friend entered and shut it behind her.

"Lily I have the most marvelous news," the princess began but the fog of sleep that had been clinging to the red head since she had opened the door suddenly melted away. She observed Elia's sparkling countenances, the sheer joy on her face and the hand that was pressed against her stomach, and pressed her own to her mouth.

"It worked," she whispered and her own joy and relief spiked through her. Elia hadn't suffered from any residual side effects as a result of the potion but that had borne little comfort. "The potion worked."  
Elia nodded, clearly too overwhelmed to even speak. "The….The Maester confirmed it this morning. I suspected it for weeks but was too afraid to ask, thinking it might just be my own longing. But no….the Mother has smiled upon me….I am with child again."

Lily let out a shriek and pounced on her friend with a massive hug and the two lowered their noble lady facades for a moment in favor of dancing about the room holding hands as if they were children once more.

Finally when they stopped, Elia bent slightly to catch her breath and wiped happy tears from her eyes. "Lily I don't know how to thank you. I've already done House Martell a great service saving my life from assassins twice and then enabling me to have children again. You have gone above and beyond what I could ask for from any friend or family member. House Tully will forever have the support of House Martell."

And then she thoroughly stunned Lily by sweeping into a deep curtsy, head bowed almost as if in reverence.

Lily blinked for a second before she registered the situation and took her friend's hand pulling her to her feet. "Please stand up your grace, I would never have you bow to me. Now how far along did the maester say that you were?"

"A few weeks." Her friend was practically glowing. "He said I'm a few weeks along and to be careful and take lots of rest."

She practically collapsed into the chair opposite Lily's small writing desk and pressed her hands to her mouth.

Lily glanced at the silver pitcher of water and twin goblets sitting on her bedside table and hurried to pour one for her friend. She pressed it into Elia's hand and the brunette took it gratefully and nodded at her absently.

"I don't know how to thank you Lily," she said after she had taken a few sips. "This potion has made my dreams come true."

"Don't thank me yet," the red head said with a chuckle. "When the child is sitting in your arms then you can thank me.'

"Agreed," Elia said with a laugh. "Seven hells its almost as if all of the last few weeks of grief were worth it. All the stress, the fatigue, the fear, just to know that I would have another child."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Lily warned as she sat down across from her friend. "There are still things that could go wrong. We can hope against them but a pregnancy is never certain until that child is resting in your arms."

Elia took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, yes of course. I'm merely excited. Rhaegar will have an heir and a daughter through me and I will finally silence those critics who questioned my health and ability to build a line."

She paused when she saw that Lily was looking at her with one eyebrow raised. "I certainly hope that this entire scheme was not about the critics," the red head said.

Elia shook her head. "I can't deny that there was some small part of me that was able to hear the words and voices of nasty nobles and ladies in my head mocking the Martells for their lack of robust health. But no….my desire for this to work went far beyond my ego. Rhaenys is going to grow up in a snake pit and I will not see her go through it alone. Her mother will be able to protect her."

Lily blinked and looked around. "Speaking of which…where is the princess?"

"With the queen mother," Elia said easily. "I think she has noted how difficult the last few weeks have been for me and is trying to take some of my burden."

Lily nodded. "You didn't tell her what we were doing did you?"

"If I did that, then I would need to tell her about your magic and that is your secret to share, not mine."

Lily nodded again. "Good. Now what?"

Elia smiled at her. "Now I go through with this pregnancy and pray that it is a boy so the questions of an heir to the throne will be answered."

Lily pursed her lips and nodded. A part of her wanted to ask Elia what she would do if the child was a girl but then decided that it might ruin her friend's good mood.

 _Any child will be a blessing after this,_ she thought to herself after Elia left the room humming a tune to herself. _Even a girl._

 _The King won't think so,_ whispered a nasty little voice in the back of her mind. _Suppose it is a girl. Do you want to imagine what his reaction might be?_

 _No I don't,_ Lily thought back fiercely. _And I don't need to…because everything is going to work out fine._

 _So you say….but what makes you think that this life will be any less complicated than the one you left behind?_

Ω

 **If you have not subscribed to my Youtube Channel, the channel name is Kaetie Mac, just type it into the search bar and its the grey icon with the tree in it. Any new subscribers would be very much appreciated as I am trying to build my own author platform in the hopes of making writing my full time career. Now I realize that this chapter is extremely short with a bit of filler thrown in but the interesting parts begin in the next segment so stay tuned for that. Don't forget to drop a review and as always, happy reading everyone!**


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